


Lemonade

by atavism



Category: Glee
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2015-01-03
Packaged: 2018-03-03 07:26:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2842958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atavism/pseuds/atavism
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An age gap AU, in which the Hummels and Andersons become close when Blaine's parents move next door to Kurt and Burt.  This is a very Burt-centric story, with Klaine romance appearing only towards the end.  There is no underage Klaine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been unhappy with the Season 6 spoilers we've had so far, so I decided to reread some of my favorite fics. There are so few stories that really highlight Burt, so I decided to write one myself. I haven't uploaded to AO3 before, so please forgive me if the formatting goes wonky. Constructive comments are very much appreciated.

Chapter 1- Kurt is 12, Blaine is 29

 

The first time Blaine sets eyes on Kurt Hummel, his first thought is _Dear Lord, that looks good_. He doesn’t know then that Kurt will inspire such thoughts many, many times over the course of the years, although admittedly for very different reasons. At the moment, Blaine’s reaction is based completely on what Kurt is holding in his hands- a decorative tray holding what looks to be a plate of oatmeal cookies and a large pitcher of lemonade. Blaine is so focused on the lemonade, ice cubes clinking at the top and lemon wedges placed artfully around the rim of a pitcher that is glistening with condensation, that he barely notices the boy who is bearing his salvation from the heat.

 

That is, until he speaks. “Hello. I saw you moving in and thought I’d come over and welcome you to the neighborhood and offer some refreshments in this terrible heat.”

 

Blaine blinks. The boy in front of him has a high-pitched voice, chubby cheeks, and a small stature that suggest he’s quite young. Blaine isn’t very experienced with children, but he’d guess the kid is about 10. Of course, that age is at odds with his carefully color-coordinated, wrinkle-free outfit and his polite little speech, which sounds oddly formal coming from such a small boy, and perhaps even rehearsed.

 

“Wow, thanks. That looks incredible, but I’m not moving in. I’m just here to do the heavy lifting; it’s my parents who’ll be living here. They’re inside unpacking while I unload the truck. I’m Blaine Anderson, by the way.”

 

“Kurt Hummel. My dad and I live right next door.” Kurt motions to the house to their right with his head. “I guess your parents are our new neighbors then. But you’re still welcome to the cookies and lemonade. They’re homemade.”

 

Blaine’s eyes have left Kurt and are once again focused on the gleaming pitcher of lemonade. When he’d offered to help his parents move, he hadn’t expected to be singlehandedly unloading all of their worldly possessions on what is undoubtedly the hottest day of the summer. Even in shorts, with the top two buttons of his polo undone, he can feel the sweat gathering on his forehead and dripping unpleasantly down his back, and he doesn’t even want to think about what this weather is doing to his hair- gel can only do so much, after all. He realizes abruptly that he’s lost his manners to the heat and his thirst, and that he’s been staring at the cool drink rather than responding to the boy in front of him, whose smile is slowly fading at Blaine’s lack of a response.

 

“I’m so sorry! Where are my manners today? That just looks incredibly good after being out in this heat. Would you like to come inside? You can meet my parents and we can try some of those cookies before they melt out here.”

 

Kurt frowns a bit, and glances behind Blaine to the house. “Um. Thank you very much, but I’m not supposed to go into strangers’ houses. Not that you’re a stranger! Except you are, kind of, and my dad hasn’t met you and he’s a little overprotective and…” He trails off, avoiding Blaine’s eyes.

 

Blaine curses himself internally. He should know better than to ask a child he doesn’t know to come inside, and the last thing his parents need is to have their son develop a reputation as the neighborhood creep before they’ve even settled into their new home. “Of course not. I’m so sorry; that was rude of me to even ask. It really is the heat; it’s turned my brain to mush, clearly. How about this- why don’t we sit on the porch? It will be a bit cooler in the shade, and I can have my parents come out and meet you.”

 

Kurt smiles, raises his chin and says, “Thank you. That would be very lovely.” Blaine holds his arm out to gesture Kurt towards the porch, and the boy walks smoothly past him and sets his tray down on the porch’s small table, which Blaine has thankfully already unloaded from the moving truck. He takes his time arranging the cookies and lemonade on the table, along with the plates, cups and napkins he’s brought along as well. Given his clear attention to the aesthetics of the arrangement, Blaine’s a little surprised the boy didn’t bring along of vase of flowers or a centerpiece to complete the look, but he supposes the tray was already full to the point of overflowing and probably heavy for such a small little guy.

 

“I’ll just get my parents,” Blaine murmurs, and as he heads into the house, he can’t help wondering to himself _Where was that kid 20 years ago? I bet he’s the sort to love a good tea party, and I definitely could have used a friend like that._

 

\---

 

“And he lives in New York, Dad! New York! Can you imagine? And he works for a record company and helps people make music and I asked him if he ever goes to Broadway plays and he says he does- all the time!”

 

Burt serves himself another helping of chicken (Kurt’s cooking is definitely improving) and can’t help but smile as he listens to his son chatter on enthusiastically about meeting the new neighbors. Or, more specifically, the new neighbors’ son. He and Kurt don’t have the connection Kurt had with his mother, but when Kurt gets excited about something, he’s more than willing the share it with Burt. At least this is something Burt can understand; sometimes when Kurt gets going about fashion or baking or God know what else, all Burt can do is nod along uncomprehendingly. This though, meeting someone new whose life must seem quite exotic, this is something he can understand. But still…

 

“Look, kiddo, I’m glad you had a good time, but I wish you’d waited to go over there until I was home. We don’t know anything about these people.”

 

“Dad,” Kurt grouses, “The Andersons are perfectly nice, and it’s not like I went into their house. We sat on the front porch the entire time. Besides, I’m not a little kid anymore; I’m almost 13!” He lifts his chin indignantly as he says, “But Blaine did think I was only 10. 10! I do not look 10!”

 

Burt forces down a chuckle. Kurt has become very sensitive about his height over the past few years. “Give the guy a break, kid. If he doesn’t have any kids how should he be able to guess how old you are? Besides, I keep telling you you’re gonna have a growth spurt eventually.”

 

Kurt looks up at him hopefully, “You really think so?”

 

“Of course. If you’re not, you’re gonna be stuck with those huge feet of yours that are way too big for the rest of your body. But that’s not gonna happen. You’ll be as tall as me someday, I’ll bet.”

 

This seems to appease Kurt, as he relaxes and goes back to his dinner.

 

After a few more bites, Burt asks “So what about the parents- our actual neighbors? What were they like?”

 

Kurt takes a moment to think about it, and takes a sip of milk in the meantime. “Well, Mr. Anderson seemed tired and didn’t say much. It seemed like maybe his health wasn’t that great? Or maybe it was just the heat… But Mrs. Anderson was very nice. When she found out I made the cookies from scratch, she said we could swap recipes. And, oh! She’s setting up a whole room for sewing. I guess she does mainly quilting lately, not clothes, but still, it will be very nice to have a seamstress next door. She said I could come over and try out her Serger once it’s unpacked.” Kurt says the last with a very pointed look at his dad. He’s been strongly hinting that he wants a Serger for his birthday, if leaving printouts of his preferred models by the coffeemaker and bookmarking Sears and Amazon pages on their shared computer can be viewed as hinting. Burt isn’t completely sure how a Serger will be different from the sewing machine Kurt has now, but he’s already made plans to buy one for Kurt’s birthday. Not wanting to give away the surprise, he doesn’t take the bait and skips over his son’s comment.

 

“That’s great, Kurt. And they’re both retired?”

 

“Yeah, I guess so. And Blaine said they were moved over here because it’s a lot smaller and more manageable than their old place in Westerville.”

 

“That makes sense, especially if Mr. Anderson isn’t in the greatest of health. That’s a nice little place next door, pretty good shape too.”

 

They’re quiet for a few minutes, both focused on finishing up their dinners. But Burt can’t help thinking how nice it is to see Kurt happy about something. “So, what do you say we really roll out the red carpet for these folks and invite them over for supper tomorrow night? I can fire up the old grill.”

 

Kurt grins. “Really, Dad?” He clasps his hands together in excitement, “That’ll be great!”

 

\---

 

Blaine takes another bite of his burger with gusto. The Hummel men are certainly talented when it comes to cooking, if Burt’s turn at the grill and Kurt’s spinach salad and brownies are anything to go off, not to mention the heavenly lemonade and cookies from the day before, which still have Blaine smiling blissfully when he thinks of them. He grins a bit to himself as he watches Kurt and Burt now; Kurt is trying to discreetly slide more grilled vegetables onto his dad’s plate while he munches on a brownie himself. The boy’s sweet tooth seems to be as strong as the elder Hummel’s taste for meat. Burt and Kurt appear to get along well; although it’s clear that Burt is sometimes out of his element when it comes to some of Kurt’s eclectic interests. They’re not exactly Ward and Beaver Cleaver, but their relationship seems head and shoulders beyond the one he shares with his own father. Not that that is a particularly hard feat to accomplish.

 

He sighs softly and looks across the lawn at his father, who is quietly ensconced in a lawn chair and slowly picking at his salad. He shouldn’t be so hard on his him, he knows. After all, he’s treated him a lot better than many conservative, old-fashioned men treat their gay sons. When Blaine came out, his father didn’t kick him out of the house, didn’t beat him, or cut him off financially. But neither did he continue to play an active role in Blaine’s life. He became a distant, albeit polite, stranger. Blaine stopped being his son and became his gay son; he would never have guessed how much difference one little word could make. He stopped asking questions about Blaine’s personal life, how he spent his free time, or his hobbies. He certainly never expressed any interest in meeting any of Blaine’s boyfriends; unlike his mother, who was always eager to know about Blaine’s forays into romance, however disastrous they usually ended up. But still, now that his father’s health is failing, and his parents are relying on him more and more (God forbid Cooper spare a minute away from his busy Hollywood life to help them), Blaine is trying hard to let go of some of the resentment he has towards his father. It’s not doing either of them any good, and he knows it upsets his mother as well.

 

Looking over at Kurt, in his neatly pressed khaki shorts and navy-colored boatneck top with matching socks, his napkin placed carefully in his lap, carrying on a passionate conversation with Blaine’s mother about the benefits of Serger sewing machines (and throwing very obvious glances at Burt throughout the conversation- at this point even Blaine knows what Kurt wants for his birthday), Blaine can’t help but wonder if Kurt is gay. He knows he shouldn’t stereotype, that he barely knows Kurt, and the fact that the boy enjoys sewing, baking, and a well-put-together outfit definitely doesn’t signify anything. But Kurt reminds him a bit of himself at that age, and so he wonders. Wonders if Kurt has even thought about his sexuality, if he’s come out to his dad, and if not how Burt will react if or when he does. He has a hard time imagining Burt Hummel treating Kurt the way John Anderson treated Blaine, but there’s really no way to tell. While Blaine had feared his parents’ reactions to his coming out, he never really thought his dad would pull away from him like he did.

 

And frankly, when he’d opened his parents’ front door last night to the Hummels, he’d been more than a little surprised by Burt Hummel. After meeting Kurt, he had imagined his father as an older version of him- perhaps a well-dressed professor or lawyer. Seeing Burt Hummel, in stained jeans and a baseball cap, with his hand on Kurt’s shoulder had definitely not been what he had expected. But Burt had been kind, and his offer to come over for supper the next night was certainly welcome; unpacking enough to cook a real meal was an arduous task, and so far they’d been eating only takeout and granola bars. Based on the conversations he’s had with the father and son, he guesses that beyond a healthy appetite, Burt and Kurt don’t have many interests in common. But it’s clear where Kurt gets his generosity and kindness; there aren’t many 12 year old boys who would take time during their summer break to make fresh lemonade and cookies for a stranger. Now that he’s met Burt, who has offered his parents not only a meal, but a good deal on any car maintenance they might need and help mowing the lawn or shoveling snow come winter, he can’t say he’s at all surprised by Kurt’s initial offer of lemonade.

 

It’s hardly the biggest or the most meaningful thing that either of the Hummels will offer him over the years, but as the first thing, that pitcher of lemonade will always hold special meaning for him. For the rest of his life, he won’t be able to drink lemonade without thinking of Kurt and smiling.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Kurt is 13, Blaine is 30

August in New York City isn’t exactly pleasant, but August in Lima is downright miserable. It’s absolutely sweltering outside, and Blaine is thrilled when he finally finishes mowing the lawn and heads back inside his parents’ air-conditioned house. After a brief but refreshing shower, he dresses and follows the sound of voices into the kitchen.

His mom and Kurt are making ice cream sundaes, complete with homemade ice cream and toppings, and Blaine quickly lands the role of taste tester, to his delight. He’s trying to convince his mom he needs yet another spoonful of her caramel sauce to make a truly informed decision about its quality, when his father walks into the kitchen.

John Anderson ignores both Kurt and Blaine and turns instead to his wife. “Pam, has the mail arrived yet?”

“I don’t know, honey. I haven’t been out to check. I’ll look when we’re done in here.”

“Thank you. Will you let me know if that letter from the insurance company comes?”

John’s already turning towards the door to head out of the kitchen, when Kurt pipes up. “Would you like an ice cream sundae Mr. Anderson? We made them from scratch, and I made raspberry compote for the first time.” There’s a hesitance in the boy’s voice that Blaine isn’t used to from Kurt. Not that they’ve spent a lot of time together, but since his parents’ move, all his visits back to Ohio have included at least one appearance from the Hummels.

Blaine’s father stops and turns to look at Kurt. While his words are polite, his tone is dismissive when he responds, “No, thank you, Kurt,” and walks out of the kitchen.

He sees the hurt flash over Kurt’s face, followed quickly by resignation, but he doesn’t have a chance to say anything before his mother jumps in with, “Well. That’s his loss, isn’t it? It just leaves more ice cream for the three of us, and I for one, would love to try your compote, Kurt.”

Blaine smiles and settles in to enjoy his treat, but as he’s eating he can’t help but think back over all the times he’s seen his dad and Kurt together. He can’t think of a single time that he’s seen them in conversation or that hid dad had shown any interest in the boy. He fights back against the rising irritation and focuses instead on his mom and Kurt, who are now chatting happily about the proper way to shave chocolate.

\---

It’s another hot day less than a week later, and Burt is taking a quick break from his work to drink some water and check some inventory levels on the computer up front. He’s more than a little surprised to look up and see Blaine Anderson walking into his shop. While Kurt and Pam Anderson have quickly become close, and Blaine was dutifully home from New York for every major holiday and a chunk of the summer, he and Burt haven’t interacted much.

So it’s a surprise when Blaine stops by the shop, but even more so when he glances quickly around the empty waiting room before blurting out, “I’m sorry for how my dad’s been treating Kurt.”

“Can’t say I know what you mean,” Burt replies, a little off balance with the abrupt start to the conversation.

“Come on Burt. If I’ve seen it you’ve seen it. John has no interest in Kurt whatsoever. He treats him just like he treats me; he tolerates his presence but can’t spare a kind word for him.”

“Well now, not everybody’s a talker. Maybe your dad just likes his quiet, his privacy. And you know, Kurt can be a real handful, especially if you’re not used to him.

Blaine scoffs. “Kurt’s an angel. And I think you and I both know that my dad doesn’t like Kurt because he reminds him of me. He remembers what I was like as a kid, and he can’t stand what I turned into.” His voice cracks and he looks away from Burt, not wanting to meet his eyes.

“Turned into? You mean- you mean gay.”

Blaine nods but still doesn’t look up.

“Blaine. I’m not the smartest guy, and maybe I don’t know everything about this, about being gay, but I know it’s not anything that you turned into. You were born who you are, and there is nothing wrong with you. You’re a good man and a good son, and if your father can’t get past that, then that’s his problem.”

Blaine sucks in a breath and wipes at his eyes. He runs a hand over his slicked back hair. “Yeah. Yeah. I know that. Logically, consciously, I know that. But it’s hard to, to internalize it. It’s hard to stop him from getting under my skin.” He takes another deep breath. “Thank you, Burt. You’re a good man too, and you’re an incredible father. Kurt’s really lucky to have you.” He smiles briefly at Burt.

“You really think John treats Kurt differently because he’s-,” Burt cuts himself off.

“Oh! I mean, I don’t want to presume, and I would never label someone, especially not someone as young as Kurt! And that’s why I didn’t talk to Kurt directly, I didn’t want his to misunderstand or think people were making assumptions about him. It’s just my dad, you know, he’s not as open to someone with Kurt’s diverse range of interests and unique way of expressing himself.”

Burt chuckles. “If there’s one thing that Kurt is, it’s unique. That’s for sure.” He pauses a moment. “I’ve been trying to be supportive, let him know he can talk to me, that I love him know matter what. But he’s tight-lipped.”

“Well, if he needs to, when he’s ready, he’ll come to you. Tell him what you just told me and it’ll mean the world to him.”

“He’s my son. _He_ means the world to _me_.”

A look flashes across Blaine’s face, too fast for Burt to read, but it is followed by a bittersweet smile. “You really are a good man, Burt Hummel.”


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Kurt is 14, Blaine is 31

“Hi Dad,” Kurt’s voice rings out across the shop just as Burt rolls himself out from underneath the car he’s been working on.

“Hey, buddy. What are you doing here? I thought you wanted to fully enjoy your work-free winter break- did you decide you need a little extra cash for some last minute Christmas presents?”

“No, Dad. I told you, all my presents have been carefully selected and wrapped for weeks now. You’re the one who does the last minute Christmas shopping.

Burt chuckles a bit. “Yep, you got me there. So what, you just decided to spend the day with your old man, huh?”

Kurt shakes his head, “No, I just wanted to bring you some of these cookies while they’re still warm. I made them with Pam; they’re the ones she was telling me about. You know, the ones her mom used to make when she was little. They’re exquisite.”

Smiling, Burt walks over to the sink to wash his hands before eating. “So are these Filipino cookies then, if her mom made them?”

“I’m not sure,” Kurt responds. “I guess maybe? But she made them when she was living here, so maybe not? Either way, they’re absolutely delicious.”

He offers the tin to Burt as he walks back over to him, hands now clean and dry. Burt quickly grabs a cookie and pops it in his mouth. “Hey, you’re right! These are great. Did you get the recipe?”

“Of course,” Kurt sniffs. “Do you honestly think I’d walk out of the Anderson house without a new recipe? What do you take me for?”

Burt raises his hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. You got me there. So did you and Pam just decide to have spur-of-the-moment baking session? You didn’t mention you were going over there at breakfast this morning.”

Kurt frowns a bit. “No, she called and asked me to come over. Blaine is flying in today, you know, and she wanted to do this whole elaborate meal with all his favorite foods for him. But I guess John had a bad day yesterday, so she wasn’t able to do any of the prep work. She asked me to come help get things ready; after all, when you’re in a pinch in the kitchen, nothing does the trick quite like Kurt Hummel!”

Burt can’t help but agree with his son’s assessment, even if it is a bit cocky. Kurt’s been having a hard time at school lately, and while he doesn’t want to talk about it with his dad, his silence and sad eyes tell Burt enough. So he’s glad to see Kurt with some of his normal swagger back. Spending time with Pam Anderson always seems to brighten Kurt’s mood, that’s for sure. Maybe he should try talking to Pam again- see if Kurt’s told her anything about what’s going on at school. Or he could try to corner Blaine and get his perspective while he’s in town for the holidays. Burt is normally a fairly private man, and he doesn’t like to spread Kurt’s private business around town, but Pam has become like a grandmother to the boy since the Andersons moved in a year and a half ago, and Blaine, well… He doesn’t know him nearly as well as he knows his parents, but Blaine is still the only openly gay man Burt has more than a passing acquaintance with, and while Kurt hasn’t said a word to Burt about preferring boys, or even girls for that matter, Burt can’t help but suspect that his son is gay. What’s more, he suspects that what’s making Kurt unhappy at school has something to do with it. Since meeting the Andersons, and witnessing the obviously tense relationship between Blaine and John, Burt has tried harder to be more open with Kurt, more encouraging. He wants Kurt to know that he’ll love him and support him no matter what, but he’s not sure how clear the message has been. No one’s ever called Burt an eloquent man, and sometimes trying to get through to his son is like trying to talk in code. On good days he thinks it might be working- thinks that maybe Kurt is opening up to him little by little; on bad days- well on bad days, Burt misses his wife more than he can say.

Burt shakes himself out of his momentary reverie. “So John had another bad day, huh?”

“MmHmm. I think it’s the usual thing- his kidneys and everything.”

“He doing any better today?”

Kurt shrugs. “I suppose. He was out of bed and in the living room watching football when I was over. It’s not like he had anything to say to me.” There’s a bitter note to the end of Kurt’s statement that makes Burt reach out and touch his son’s shoulder gently.

“Hey, come on kiddo. You know better than to take that personally. He’s just not much of a people person, especially being sick and all. And you know not everyone’s comfortable around kids.”

This is as close to a flat-out lie as Burt Hummel will ever tell his son, but in this, at least, he doesn’t have the heart or the stomach for the truth. He thinks back to the conversation he’d had with Blaine the previous summer and tries not to grimace. Instead, he grabs another cookie and munches on it, trying to fill the silence that followed his statement to Kurt about John. It’s obvious his son doesn’t believe the pronouncement any more than Blaine had. He decides to change the subject.

“So Blaine’s back for the holidays, huh? You gotta be excited about that. I know how much you like to pester him for details about his exciting New York life.”

He forces back a smile when Kurt reacted predictably to his gentle ribbing, raising his chin and proclaiming haughtily, “Excuse me? I do not pester. I provide Blaine with what I’m sure is much-appreciated culturally aware conversation, which is distinctly lacking in Lima. Not everyone wants to spend all day talking about the Buckeyes and the price of fuel oil.”

“Yep, but we both know Blaine likes the Buckeyes just as much as he likes any of those fancy musicals you’re always on about.”

“Fine. You talk to him about football, and I’ll talk to him about everything else.” Kurt’s snippy tone is belied by the fact that he reaches up to kiss his father swiftly on the cheek. “I’m going to head out. I want to watch a few episodes of America’s Top Model before I start dinner. Be home by 6, ok? I’m trying out a new quiche recipe, and you know it won’t taste as good lukewarm.”

“Sure thing kiddo- looking forward to it.” Burt almost turns around to go back to work when his mind flashes back to Blaine, looking so upset talking about his own father. “I love you, Kurt.”

Kurt grins broadly. “Love you too, Dad.”

\---

“Three times? You’ve seen Wicked three times?” Kurt’s excited squeal is astonishingly high-pitched, but it doesn’t draw any attention at the Andersons’ crowded Christmas party, with guests chatting loudly and holiday music playing in the background. It helps that he and Kurt are tucked away a bit, sitting on a sofa at the far end of the living room, where most of the guests are gathered. Despite his father’s poor health, his mother had wanted to host a holiday get-together, and Blaine can tell she’s happy with the results. The food is good, the light coating of snow on the ground is definitely providing a Christmas feeling, and there are plenty of guests milling about the house. In addition to the Hummels, Pam has invited several other neighbors, some friends from her book club, and even a few distant cousins that live in the area.

Blaine returns his attention to the teenager sitting next to him. “Absolutely. One time is really not enough to truly appreciate it. I went once on my own, and again with a group for a friend’s birthday, and then Andrew and I saw it on a date. It’s actually a really good first date because if he hadn’t liked Wicked, I would have known to cut and run.”

Kurt’s eyes have gotten very large, very quickly. “Andrew?”

Blaine reaches out for his glass of apple cider. “Oh. Yeah. Andrew. Um, Andrew’s my boyfriend.” He takes a sip of cider and watches Kurt.

“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone.” Is Kurt’s voice even higher than normal? It’s hard for Blaine to tell, but he can definitely make out the rising blush on Kurt’s cheeks.

“Yes. It’s fairly new. We’ve only been together for about 3 months. My mother didn’t tell you? I thought she filled you in on all the New York gossip.”

“No, she didn’t say anything about it.” Kurt is fidgeting in his seat, his hands twisting and fluttering slightly. His face bears a complicated expression that’s part wistful, part excited, and part embarrassed. Blaine’s heart goes out to him; he’s obviously very interested in this topic of conversation but not sure how to proceed.

Blaine takes pity on him and tells him, “Hmm. Maybe she was actually trying to respect my privacy at last. I never thought I’d see the day. But anyway, Andrew, he’s a great guy. Loves Wicked- you’d like him.”

Kurt seems to find his voice again, “What does he do?”

“He’s a lawyer, which doesn’t sound interesting, but it’s actually human rights work, so he’s very passionate about it.”

“That’s great.” Kurt’s tone indicates he’s not terribly interested in Andrew’s chosen profession. He sneaks a few nervous glances around them, and satisfied that they’re still relatively alone in this corner of the room, he continues. “So you, you go on dates? Real dates? To musicals and restaurants, and oh! Do you go dancing?”

Blaine smiles. “We definitely go on dates; although we’ve been a little busy lately, so it’s been hard to coordinate our schedules. But yes, to everything. We go to musicals; we eat, we dance.” He can only imagine the images that must be going through Kurt’s mind. They’re probably quite similar to the ones he had at that age- hazy romantic montages of perfect date moments, inspired by entirely too many romantic comedies during his youth.

Kurt leans in a little bit and clasps his hands together tightly. “Does he bring you flowers? Do you bring him flowers? Is it extremely romantic?”

Blaine opens his mouth to respond, but closes it when he sees Burt heading their way. The elder Hummel takes a seat on the chair across from Kurt and Blaine and greets them. “Hey, boys. How’s it going? Your mom sure does throw a great party, Blaine.” He looks more closely at Kurt. “You ok there, kiddo? You look a little flushed.”

Kurt pops up off the sofa with a start. “I’m great. I’m good. I just need some more punch. It’s warm in here, isn’t it?” He grabs his cup off the coffee table and is gone before either man has a chance to respond.

Burt turns more fully towards Blaine and raises his eyebrows questioningly. Blaine waves his hand vaguely. “Don’t worry about. You know Kurt; he was just shaking me down for more details of my New York life. I think he’s under the impression that I spend all day meeting celebrities, going to musicals, and shopping at Saks 5th Avenue.”

Burt has to laugh at that characterization. “Yeah, Kurt can be a little single-minded sometimes. He’s got a good head on his shoulders- don’t get me wrong, but it spends a lot of time up in the clouds instead of here on solid ground.”

Blaine shrugs. “I think that might be true of all teenagers.” He stretches out his legs a bit and takes another sip of cider. “So, how about those Buckeyes?”


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Kurt is 15, Blaine is 32

Burt sits down heavily, glad to be off his feet and no longer bent over that troublesome Chevy that just doesn’t seem to want to be fixed. He puts his feet up on his desk and pulls open the brown paper bag Kurt had packed his lunch in that morning.

God, Burt loves his son. He knows Kurt’s been struggling lately, knows how lonely he’s been. He has fewer and fewer stories to recount at the dinner table, and the handful of friends he’d had in middle school seem to have vanished into the woodwork of Mckinley High. Kurt puts on a brave face; he reads his magazines and works on his sewing and sniffs dismissively whenever Burt tries to bring up his classmates. Burt can tell that it’s getting to him, can tell how hard it is for him to get through the schoolday, but he still manages to pack Burt a lunch every day, a little something special to get Burt through _his_ day.

Today Kurt’s given him a nice big sandwich- turkey and mayo by the looks of it- covered in fancy wrappings, with a bag of chips, some of Kurt’s homemade lemon bars, and (it’s his lucky day) a second dessert. Kurt has included one of the Christmas tree-shaped Little Debbie snack cakes that Burt eats religiously this time of year. His son turns his nose up at them and rants about how they’re no different from the regular snack cakes that are sold all year round, which are nothing special to begin with, but here he’s gone and put one in Burt’s lunch, just because he knows his dad will like it. Sometimes Kurt is so much like his mother it takes Burt’s breath away.

He’s halfway through his sandwich and wondering if he got Kurt the right sweater for Christmas when Blaine Anderson knocks on the frame of his open office door and steps inside. “Hi, Burt. Is this a bad time?”

“Blaine, hey! Have a seat. I’m just having my lunch break, but you know it’s always great to see you. What brings you by?”

Blaine settles into the chair across from Burt and glances at his lunch. He smiles. “Did Kurt make that for you?”

“Sure did. How’d you know?”

“Well, the sandwich is wrapped in red and green plastic wrap and tied up with ribbon. That seems more Kurt’s style than yours. No offense.”

Burt laughs. “None taken. You’re definitely right; if I’d made it I would have just dumped it in a plastic baggie, and believe me; it wouldn’t have tasted nearly as good either.”

“I believe it. My mom says Kurt has become quite a whiz in the kitchen, and that stuffing he brought over for Thanksgiving was to die for.” Blaine interlaces his fingers and then pulls his hands apart to run them over his hair, clearly a bit nervous. “Listen, Burt. I’m actually here about Kurt. I’d like to ask you a favor. Or, really, I’d like your permission to ask Kurt a favor.”

Burt gives him a long look. “What’d you have in mind?”

Blaine knows Burt well enough to know he responds best to a direct approach, so he doesn’t beat around the bush. “I’m worried about my parents. I come to Ohio as often as I can, and I call my mom every week when I’m at home in New York, but I don’t think she tells me everything. I think that she- maybe that she doesn’t want to be a bother. Every time I come here, my dad is smaller and frailer and he gets around less and less, and my mom…” Here, Blaine has to pause a moment, trying to collect himself enough to get through this. “My mom seems so stressed, so worn down; she’s pretty much a full-time caregiver these days. When I was here for Thanksgiving, I was shocked by how old she seemed, and now I’m back less than a month later, and she’s even worse. I just want to do everything I can to help, even if that means coming back to Ohio more often or hiring someone to help out with my dad when it comes to that. But I can’t know when to help if I’m not here to see it and if she won’t tell me.”

Burt pulls off his baseball cap and runs a hand across his scalp. “And you want Kurt to tell you? Report back to you about your parents?”

“You make it sound like I want him to spy on them. I don’t. But Kurt is over there a few times a week, and he knows my mom so well. He’d know if she was especially stressed or if there was something she obviously needed help with. He could just… let me know.”

“Look, Blaine. I know how hard this is for you. I’ve been in a similar situation myself. But you need to know you’re not alone, buddy. You’ve got that brother of yours-,” he’s cut short by Blaine’s incredulous snort.

“Cooper?”

“Yes, Cooper. I know he isn’t around much, but if you talked to him, explained the situation, maybe he’d be more willing to help out. And more than that, you’ve got me and Kurt. We can and will help whenever we can. And if you want to ask Kurt to keep a special eye on your mom, and email or call or whatever it is you kids are doing these days when he gets worried, you can. But you have to tell your mom first.”

“Tell her?”

“Yep. You’ve got to put your cards on the table, Blaine. Tell your mom you asked me and Kurt to keep an eye out, lend a hand when needed. I don’t think Pam will mind; honestly, I think she’ll be grateful for the concern.”

“Ok. I can do that.” Blaine takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. “Thanks, Burt.”

“Anytime, Blaine. Anytime.”

\---

Despite having Burt’s approval and assurance, Blaine was still a little nervous when he knocked on the Hummels’ door that afternoon. Burt had told him what time Kurt would get home from school, and Blaine had walked over shortly after, a plate of gingerbread men clutched carefully in his hands.

Kurt seemed surprised to see him, but not unhappy. He sobered a bit when Blaine had explained what he wanted of him, but he’d readily agreed, and Blaine was once again struck by the incredible kindness of both of the Hummels.

Now, standing in the Hummel kitchen, while Kurt pours glasses of milk to go with the cookies Blaine had brought over, he feels lighter and happier than he has since before Thanksgiving.

Kurt sets the glasses of milk down on the table and pulls the aluminum foil off Blaine’s plate of cookies. Blaine’s good mood is only enhanced by Kurt’s laugh. “Blaine, are these gingerbread men wearing bowties?”

Blaine grins at him unabashedly. “They most certainly are. Every well-attired gentleman sports a bowtie from time to time.”

Kurt reaches out and lifts a cookie carefully off the plate to inspect it closer. “I can’t argue with you there. And _some_ well-attired gentlemen sport bowties much more often than just from time to time.” He throws a pointed look at Blaine, who raises a hand first to touch the bowtie currently encircling his own neck before lowering it to cover his heart.

“Kurt, are you suggesting you don’t like my bowties?”

The teen laughs again and quickly shakes his head. “No, no. I love your bowties. They demonstrate more fashion sense than the entire population of Lima combined.”

“Present company excluded, I take it.”

Kurt raises his chin and reaches up with the hand not holding a cookie to flip his bangs off his face. Still smiling he responds, “That goes without saying.”

Now it’s Blaine’s turn to laugh. As he grabs his own gingerbread man from the plate, he asks Kurt what he has planned for his Christmas Break.

He shrugs in response. “Cooking and eating, of course. The after-Christmas sales at the mall should be worthwhile, and in about half an hour there’s a marathon of the Bachelor on tv.”

Blaine perks up at this. “Really? I love that show. I didn’t know you watched it too.”

“Of course I do. My dad doesn’t see the appeal, but I love the Bachelor. You should stay and watch it with me. We can make fun of all the crazy contestants and swoon at the romantic dates together.”

Blaine is nodding before Kurt’s even finished talking. “Absolutely! That sounds great.”

Which is why when Burt gets home several hours later, he finds both Kurt and Blaine sitting in the living room with a bowl of popcorn and the remains of a plate of gingerbread, happily watching the Bachelor. It’s also why the emails Kurt and Blaine begin to exchange have as much to do with reality tv as they do with Blaine’s parents, but neither of them seems to mind.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Kurt is 16, Blaine is 33

“So Kurt’s out on the field, and even in his uniform, he was so tiny-“

“Dad!” Kurt cut his father off in indignation. “I am not tiny!”

“Hey, hey. I’m telling the story here. And from where I was sitting, you looked pretty small.”

Kurt huffs. “Well of course I _looked_ small. You were sitting halfway across the field and up in the bleachers. Everyone on the field probably looked small. That goes without saying. There’s no reason to insult my stature.”

Blaine brings his glass up to his mouth in order to hide his smile. When his mother had told him they were planning to have Thanksgiving dinner with the Hummels, he knew he’d be in for some amazing cuisine, but he wasn’t expecting this level of live entertainment.

Burt finally gets Kurt to back down enough to continue the story. “So he’s out there on the field, and I’m thinking any second he’s gonna go for it. You know- the big moment- win or lose right then and there. But all of the sudden the song comes back on again- The Single Lady loud and clear-“

“ _Single Ladies_ , Dad, not The Single Lady,” Kurt corrects.

“Right, right. Single Ladies. Kurt can do the whole dance routine; it’s some pretty impressive stuff. But anyway, the song comes on, and Kurt does a couple of moves, smooth as anything, and kicks it in right between the uprights- perfect kick, wins the game, and everyone just goes crazy.” Burt leans back in his chair and beams, while Kurt blushes but smiles happily. “That’s my boy.”

Blaine’s mother chimes into the conversation, “It was very impressive. I don’t normally go to the high school games, but I’m glad I went to that one. You should be very proud, Kurt.”

Blaine has to agree. “Really, Kurt, that’s great. I played soccer and boxed in high school, but I would never have had the nerve to get on the football field with all those guys twice my size.

Kurt shrugs. “It’s not like I’m getting tackled. Really, I just have to kick the ball; the rest of the time I sit on the bench trying to ignore the uncouth behavior of the Neanderthals on the team.”

Blaine laughs, as do his mom and Burt, but his dad remains silent, as he has been throughout most of the meal. He had greeted Burt and Kurt politely enough when they arrived at the Hummels’, and he’d talked a few times with Burt throughout the meal and even complimented Kurt on the food, but for the most part he’s sat quietly. When Burt had started the story of Kurt’s football triumph, Blaine had hoped that his dad might join in the conversation. While John Anderson has made it clear over the years that he has no interest in Kurt, he usually loves a good football story. Blaine is irritated to realize that his dad’s interest in football only extends to games played by straight men. Determined not to let his father’s attitude ruin what has been a truly enjoyable meal, Blaine turns back to Kurt.

“Oh, come on, Kurt. They can’t all be that bad. You said some of them are in Glee Club with you, right? And I know you’ve been having fun in there.” The emails he and Kurt have been exchanging for the past few months are in theory focused mainly on his parents, but in reality he and Kurt have been discussing tv shows, trading links to pictures of cute baby animals, and sharing amusing anecdotes from their day. In Kurt’s case, the latter are almost always stories from Glee Club, which, if Blaine is to believe even half of what Kurt tells him, seems to more circus and soap opera than musical performance.

Kurt turns to Blaine to respond to his comment, but he’s interrupted by Burt, who says, “Trust me, Blaine. You don’t want to ask about Glee unless you want to hear a 20 minute lecture on the proper way to treat sheet music.”

Burt stands up, stretches, and reaches for his plate to begin clearing the table. “Great meal, bud. I haven’t eaten that well since your mom was alive.” He reaches out and pats Kurt’s shoulder, and all three of the Andersons chime in with their compliments as well.

Kurt beams and leans over to take the plates out of this dad’s hands. “I’ll clean up. Why don’t the rest of you relax for a while in the living room? I’m sure there’s a football game on somewhere.”

Burt chuckles. “Oh, there absolutely is. You sure you don’t need any help though? This is a lot of clean-up.”

Blaine scoots his chair back and stands up. “I’ll help Kurt. You guys go relax and digest.” He makes shooing motions at Burt and his parents and then starts gathering some of the dishes off the table.

When their parents have gone into the next room, Kurt shoots Blaine a smile. “Thanks for the help.”

“No problem. I think if stay sitting any longer I’ll fall asleep. Besides, it certainly isn’t fair to make the extremely talented chef double as the sole busboy.

That makes Kurt laugh, clear and high. “Well, I appreciate the compliment, but to be honest, I don’t entirely trust my dad with the good dishes.”

“Ah, and do you trust me, or should I simply accompany you to provide moral support?”

Kurt looks up from where he’s piling silverware on top of his stack of plates and gives Blaine a long, contemplative look. “Well, it’s difficult to know for sure, but I think we can call tonight a probationary period. But you’d better be careful, Anderson. I’ve got my eye on you.”

“Duly noted. I’ll do my very best not to disappoint.”

A few minutes later, when Kurt is carefully packing away leftovers and Blaine is setting some of bigger pans and bowls to soak, he clears his throat and asks Kurt, as casually as possible, “So, how is school, really? Are things going ok?”

Kurt stays partially focused on spooning Brussels sprouts into a Pyrex container when he responds. “Ok. Yes, I think ok is a good way to describe it. This year is definitely better than my freshman year, and I think I really have made friends with some of the girls from Glee- especially Mercedes.”

Blaine hums a bit and says, “And, um, the boys?” He’s still trying for a casual tone, but he clearly fails because Kurt looks up sharply and stills his hands, his eyes narrowing.

“ _The boys_? I take it your mom told you.”

“Yes, she did. I hope you don’t mind.”

Kurt sighs. “No, not really, and I can’t imagine it came as much of a surprise to you, unless your gaydar is the worst in the country.” He takes a moment to put the lid on the container he’s been packing. “I guess I just had a very narrow idea of coming out. For years, all I was focused on was telling my dad, you know? I mean, everyone at school has always assumed I was gay; all I had to do was stop denying it when they said something. But now that I’m out, I’m realizing that it’s not just one moment with my dad. It’s lots and lots of moments with lots of people- your mom, you, my aunts and uncles. Is that what it’s always going to be like? One coming out after another?”

Blaine reaches for a towel to wipe his soapy hands on, taking a moment to think this through. “I think that’s certainly true, in a way. There are always going to be points in your life when you’re going to have to either let people think what they will or say that you’re gay. But after a while, all the important people in your life will know, and it will only be when you meet someone knew or start a new job or something like that, that you’ll really need to keep bringing it up. And I think you get used to it, too. I remember what it was like when I was a teenager, and every single time I told someone I was gay, it was a big decision for me. But now I barely think about it.” He frowns a bit. “Of course, I live in New York City, not Lima, so I’m definitely in a more supportive environment.”

Kurt grimaces slightly. “That’s the truth. But I keep telling myself I’m not going to be in Lima much longer. I mean, in less than three years I’ll be in college, studying something incredibly fabulous and hopefully surrounded by people who don’t think you can ‘catch gay’ just from standing too close to someone. Which takes us back to your original question, I suppose. The Glee guys are fine, for the most part. They’re a little uncomfortable but not outright hostile. Some of the football players and the other school idiots aren’t quite as evolved, but it’s nothing I wasn’t already dealing with.”

Blaine sighs. “I’m sorry, Kurt. I wish it was easier for you; I wish the world was easier for people like us. Just don’t let it get you down, ok?”

Kurt straightens and looks at Blaine fiercely. “I won’t. One day I’ll have an amazing life, and all those dunderheads will be working for me.” He relaxes slightly and smiles. “Besides, I have my dad. He keeps me going when I start running out of strength.”

“He took it well, I gather?”

Kurt’s smile turns into an outright grin. “Yeah. I think he might have actually read a book beforehand- you know- ‘Raising Your Gay Child’, Chapter 1- What to say when your son tells you he’s gay.”

Now it’s Blaine’s turn to smile. “What did he say, if it’s not too personal?” He’s curious what a man like Burt Hummel would say in that situation. He imagines it wasn’t anything similar to his parents’ shocked silence.

Kurt shakes his head minutely. “No, it’s ok. Um. He said that he already knew and that he loves me just the same.” He repeats “just the same” under his breath, clearly more to himself than Blaine, and the older man wonders if it’s become something of a personal mantra to the teen. He wouldn’t fault Kurt if it were. Clearly Burt Hummel knows what to say to his son when the chips are down.

“Wow. That is incredible.” Blaine swallows heavily. He thinks that perhaps this conversation has become slightly too serious for Thanksgiving evening, and decides to change the subject, albeit only slightly.

He looks over at Kurt, who has gone back to spooning leftovers into smaller containers. “You know Kurt, when I said the boys earlier, I actually meant how are _the boys_.” He waggles his eyebrows in case Kurt doesn’t catch the subtext of his added emphasis.

“Blaine!” Kurt looks absolutely scandalized. He lowers his voice and hisses, “There are no _boys_.”

Blaine pulls his face into an exaggerated frown. “None at all?”

Kurt sighs. “Well, there might be boys, but there are no _boys-_ no gay ones anyway.”

Blaine senses there’s a little more to this story. “But there are straight ones?”

There’s a pause before Kurt rolls his eyes and answers. “Yes, there are straight boys. There is _a_ straight boy. Very, very straight, so nothing will ever come of it. I know I’ll have to wait until college to have something like that, so I just need to be patient.”

“You never know, Kurt. High school might surprise you at some point, and even if it doesn’t, college isn’t that far away. In the meantime, there’s no harm in having a crush on a straight guy. It’s a rite of passage; enjoy it but don’t let yourself get invested. You’ll meet lots of great guys in time. I did.”

The gleam in Kurt’s eyes should serve as a warning, but Blaine registers it too late. “Lots, huh? So tell me, Blaine, from your own personal experience, how many guys constitutes a lot? Because from what your mom has told me, it sure sounds like you’ve-.”

He’s cut off when Blaine yelps his name in surprise; apparently it’s his turn to be scandalized now. He should have known Kurt would be able to turn the tables on him. After all, if there’s one thing he’s learned since his parents moved to Lima, it’s to never underestimate a Hummel.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Kurt is 17, Blaine is 34

Blaine sinks down onto the sofa in his parents’ house and closes his eyes. The past few days have been exhausting for him, and he can only imagine how his mother must be feeling. When she’d called him three days ago to say that his father was in the hospital and would probably need surgery, he’d gotten the first flight to Columbus that he could. While his father’s health has been declining steadily over the past few years, he hasn’t had a surgery since before the move to Lima. The surgery, while minor, resulted in a hospital stay and a whole host of new medications and care instructions for his dad. They’ve only just gotten him home and in bed, and while it isn’t even suppertime, Blaine thinks the idea of crawling into bed sounds pretty good to him.

He hears his mom settle onto the other side of the sofa, and he opens his eyes to look at her. “Did Cooper call you back yet?”

She takes a moment to answer. “You know, I think I put my phone on silent when we met with the doctor, and I haven’t checked it since.” She sighs heavily and sits up straighter, clearly about to get up, but Blaine reaches out a hand to stop her.

“I’ll get it, Mom. Is it in your purse?”

“Yes, right on the kitchen counter. Thank you dear.”

Blaine heaves himself up and returns a moment later, handing his mom the phone. He resumes his earlier position, leaning back against the sofa with eyes closed, while he listens to his mom fiddle with the phone. He can faintly hear her listening to a few voicemails, but he can’t make out enough to know if any of them are from Cooper. He’s on the verge of falling asleep right there on the sofa when he hears her gasp.

“Mom? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Burt Hummel. He’s in the hospital.”

“What?”

“Kurt’s message isn’t very clear, poor dear, but it sounds like Burt collapsed at work today. It could be his heart. Kurt’s at the hospital with him now, or at least he was an hour ago when he left the message.” She stands up. “He can’t be alone right now. I’ll have to drive back over there.”

Blaine feels like his brain is working at half speed, and it takes him a moment to realize what his mom is saying. “No, Mom, you need to stay here with Dad. You know if he needs help getting to the bathroom or changing his bandages he won’t want me to do it. I’ll go to the hospital and check on Kurt.”

His mom looks uncertainly at him. “Are you sure, Blaine? I know you and Kurt are friends, but you might not be prepared to deal with a frightened teenager.”

“And you are? Mom, you can barely stand.” He takes her arm and guides her gently back onto the sofa. “I’ll be fine. Kurt needs someone who cares about him and supports him right now, but he also needs someone who isn’t about to collapse from exhaustion. I happen to fit all those categories.” He leans over to hug his mom. “I’ll go. Call me if anything happens here with Dad, ok? I’ll keep me cell on the whole time.”

He stands and pats his pockets, making sure he has his wallet and phone on him. His keys are in his coat pocket still, he thinks. “Did Kurt say what room he’s in?”

“No, but I’m sure you can ask at the main desk.”

Blaine nods. “Alright. I’m going to head over there. I don’t know how long I’ll stay, but try to get some rest. And eat something too; it looks like we’re going to need our strength.”

\---

Less than an hour later, Blaine knocks lightly on the open door to the room he’s been directed to. He’s clearly in the right place; he can see Kurt sitting in a chair pulled up close to the bed, but from his position he can’t yet see Burt.

Kurt looks up at the noise and is visibly shocked to see Blaine only a few feet away.

“Blaine? What are you doing here?”

He takes a few steps into the room, pointedly keeping his eyes on Kurt for the moment. There will be time later to process what’s happening with Burt, but for now he knows Kurt needs his attention. “I was with my mom when she checked her voicemail.”

“But why are you even in Lima? I thought you weren’t coming home until-,” Kurt cuts himself off abruptly. “John. You came home because of the surgery. I am so sorry, Blaine. I shouldn’t have called your mom; I completely forgot what was going on with you guys. The last thing you need is to deal with someone else’s family tragedy.”

Blaine puts up a hand to halt Kurt’s speech. “Hey, Kurt, no. Don’t worry about that at all. My dad’s ok. He’s at home, but my mom can’t leave him alone yet, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me. And Kurt, this is not a tragedy. Not yet, and probably not ever. Your dad is the toughest guy I know, and he’s still here with us, still here with you. If anyone can get through this, it’s him.”

There are tears leaking out of Kurt’s eyes, but he makes no motion to brush them away when he tells Blaine, “I want to believe that. I really, really want to believe that.” He chokes on a sob and wraps one arm around himself tightly, while bringing the other up to cover his mouth.

He looks so heartbreakingly sad that Blaine can’t help himself. “Oh, sweetheart,” he murmurs softly as he closes the distance between them and pulls Kurt into his arms.

“It’s ok. It’s ok. I’ve got you.” He rubs one hand between Kurt’s shoulder blades soothingly, brings the other up to cradle his head, and plants a soft kiss to his hairline.

With Kurt shuddering with sobs in his arms, Blaine finds he can no longer avoid looking over at Burt, and when he does it breaks his heart even more. Burt Hummel, who Blaine has always thought of as large in both stature and persona, is small, pale, and waxy under the hospital’s harsh lights. He understands completely why Kurt is so upset. To see his father this way must be devastating for him. With an effort, he pulls his attention back to Kurt, and continues to hold him until the tears die down.

\---

Blaine rubs his eyes wearily and glances at the time on his computer. 6:45. He normally makes a point of leaving the office by 5:30, or 6:00 at the latest, but he is way too bogged down in work for that to happen tonight.

He’s been back home in New York for a week already, but he feels likes he’s falling behind more each day, rather than getting caught up. He’s definitely paying for the extra days he spent in Lima with Kurt, waiting for Burt to wake up. At this rate, he probably won’t be able to take any time off for Thanksgiving. His boss has been incredibly understanding about Blaine’s frequent trips back to Ohio, mainly because Blaine has been able to get at least some work done on his laptop while he’s away. But his last trip back hadn’t been nearly as productive as normal, with pretty much all of his time spent helping either Kurt or his mom. He’d been deliberately vague when he told his boss he’d be staying in Lima longer than expected; she was supportive of Blaine helping out with his sick father, but he somehow didn’t think she would be quite as sympathetic if he told her the real reason he’d extended his trip was to help out his parents’ neighbor’s son. He doesn’t regret it at all, but now he’s faced with looming deadlines and he knows he needs to buckle down and focus.

He’s midway through reviewing the latest sales numbers when his cellphone rings. Glancing at it, he sees that it’s Kurt calling. They’ve exchanged a few text messages over the last week, but they haven’t spoken since Blaine left Lima. He knows that between school, Glee, and taking care of Burt, Kurt’s been almost as busy as him. He feels a pang of apprehension run through him as picks up the phone, wondering if Kurt is calling with good news or bad.

“Hello, Kurt.”

“Hi, Blaine. Is this a good time to talk?” Kurt sounds a little tired, but not upset, and Blaine relaxes at his tone.

“Absolutely. I’m still at the office, but frankly, I could use a break. How are you?”

“I’m good. Exhausted though- my dad is not a model patient.”

Blaine huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, is he giving you grief?”

“Let’s just say that the dietary guidelines his doctor gave us are not going over well. I’ve been trying all sorts of lovely low fat, low sodium, low cholesterol recipes, but all he really wants is a big hunk of fried meat.” Kurt sighs.

“Give him some time to adjust. I’m sure you’ll find some new dishes that he’ll enjoy; after all, I can’t imagine you making anything that tastes bad.”

“Thank you, Blaine. That’s very nice of you to say. I just hope you’re right.”

“Kurt, haven’t you learned by now? I am always right.” Kurt’s surprised laugh makes him smile, and he continues on with “But, really, how is Burt? Other than not being thrilled with his new diet, is he doing ok back at home? Do you guys need anything?”

“It’s slow going, but he’s getting a little bit stronger each day. And your mom has been amazing. She’s already done our grocery shopping and gone to the pharmacy for us. I would never have asked- I know how busy she is with your dad- but she said since she was going anyway, I might as well give her my list.”

“Well, you should let her help where she can. I know she feels terrible about not being able help out more when Burt was in the hospital. I’m sure it makes her feel better to know she can lend a hand, even just in a small way.”

Kurt hums his agreement. “She has a good heart.”

Blaine can only agree, “Yes, she really does.”

“So do you, Blaine. I can’t tell you how much it meant to me, to have you there with me at the hospital, especially when none of my friends seemed interested in respecting my wishes and beliefs.”

Blaine sighs. “They were out of line, Kurt, but you know their hearts were in the right place. You’re so mature for your age, you might not realize how hard it is for most of your friends to comprehend a belief system other than their own. But still, you shouldn’t have had to deal with that. I’m just glad I could help.”

“So am I. I don’t know how I would have gotten through this without you.”

“You would have. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past few years, it’s that Hummel men are made of some pretty tough stuff. That being said, I am glad you didn’t have to go through it alone, Kurt. And I’m glad that I could offer you a shoulder to lean on.”

“Or to cry on?”

“That too. And Kurt, that wasn’t a one-time only deal. If you need anything, let me know. Just call me.”

That’s a short pause, and Blaine wonders if he’s upset Kurt unintentionally, when Kurt giggles and says, “Are you going to start singing now?”

Blaine is momentarily stumped by Kurt’s apparent conversational U-turn. “What?”

He’s heard Kurt sing before, carefree and happy in his kitchen or belting out Christmas carols with Blaine’s mom, but his voice, clear and high as a bell, still takes him by surprise when he sings “Call me, if you need a friend. Call me.”

Blaine feels something bubbling up inside him, and it takes him a moment to realize it’s happiness. “You want me to sing? I can sing.” He doesn’t let Kurt respond before he starts to sing quietly, mindful that there are still other people in the building who could hear him through the closed door if he gets too loud.

“Sometimes in our lives, we all have pain. We all have sorrow.”

He keeps singing, and on the second verse Kurt joins him. Their voices are surprisingly good together, and by the times they get to the final ‘call me’ Blaine feels lighter and more energized than he has in weeks.

He’ll have to convince Kurt to do phone duets with him more often, if this is the effect it has on him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank everyone who has left kudos and comments on this story. I'm very pleased to know that people are enjoying it. There will be 11 chapters total, so we're more than halfway there now!

Chapter 7- Kurt is 18, Blaine is 35

The funeral home smells like potpourri. His father is dead, and the funeral home smells like potpourri. Blaine can’t imagine that his father would have liked the scent; John Anderson liked pine trees, a breeze across a mountain lake, fresh air, not potpourri. He glances around the room, trying to find where the scent is coming from. He knows it’s not just this room; he’d smelled it in the reception area and as they walked down the hallway to the funeral director’s office. Are they using those plug-ins or do they have bowls or sachets of potpourri tucked away in every room? Is it to hide the smell of whatever goes on in the basement (Blaine doesn’t let his minder wander too far down that path), or does someone here just really like that cloying, sickly-sweet smell? Can’t they come up with something milder, less intrusive? Maybe they should try fresh flowers, although he supposes that could get costly and-

“Blaine. _Blaine_.” He’s dragged away from his swirling thoughts by his mother’s voice; it sounds like this wasn’t the first time she’s tried to get his attention.

Across from them, the funeral director is smiling gently at him. She’s probably spent years perfecting just the right type of smile to express both sadness and support.

He shakes his head minutely and focuses completely on his mother. “I’m sorry, Mom. What was the question?”

“The only thing left is to pick the casket. Which do you think your father would have liked?” She pushes a binder filled with casket models and information at him. Not for the first time, he feels a flash of irritation that his father, who was seriously ill for years, never took a moment to plan even the slightest bit for his own funeral. Now it’s left to him and his mom, and frankly, Blaine does not have the foggiest inkling what his father’s taste in caskets was.

He takes a deep breath and looks down at the binder in front of him. He might not know his father’s taste, but he certainly knows his mother’s, and isn’t a funeral really more for the living than the dead? With that in mind, he finds his willpower replenished, and he flips through the pages until he finds a casket he thinks his mother will like. It’s a simple dark-colored mahogany, with some scrollwork around the edges, and best of all, it’s well within their price range. He sticks his finger on the page to show his mom the selection. “This one. I think Dad would have really liked this one.”

Leaning back in his chair, Blaine listens half-heartedly to the funeral director going over their plans one final time. His mother writes a check and receives a packet of receipts and official looking information in return, and it is finally, finally time to leave. As they walk through the hallway towards the building’s entrance, Blaine can’t help glancing around again, trying to find the source of that nauseating scent. Are they pumping the stuff directly into the HVAC system? Why would they do that? Is that really what the bereaved want to smell when planning their loved one’s funeral? Is there something wrong with him, that he doesn’t find the smell of potpourri soothing?

When they finally step out into the parking lot, Blaine can’t help but stop and take a deep breath. He thinks, _thank God for fresh air_ , and then the thought that keeps hitting him like a bullet over and over again, _my father’s dead_.

\---

For the past few days, all Blaine has been focused on is getting through the funeral. Now the funeral is over, and he realizes that what he really should have been worried about was getting through the visitation. Compared to this, the funeral was a breeze. All he had had to do was stand in the receiving line, shake hands and accept hugs, and then sit through the ceremony. The prayers, the hymns, the minister’s ritualistic motions, had all been so easy for him; they had offered a solemn cloak of rite and formality that had helped him through the ordeal. Even Cooper’s eulogy, while slightly infuriating, had been tenable.

But now he’s sitting in his parents’ living room, their house overflowing with people who want to celebrate the life of John Anderson and mourn his death. And Blaine wants to scream. If he has to listen to one more person tell him what a wonderful father his dad was, overhear Cooper’s reminisce one more time about his apparently idyllic childhood, or be offered one more lemon bar, Blaine honestly thinks he might smash something.

He looks around and locates his mother in the dining room, deep in conversation with her sister, who’s flown in from Oregon. Deciding that she’s in good hands, Blaine stands slowly and edges out of the room, up the stairs, and into the guest room that he has stayed in so many times he now can’t help thinking of it as his own.

He sinks heavily down on the edge of the bed, removes his tie, and tosses it haphazardly towards the dresser. Then he collapses backwards onto the bed, landing with his feet still firmly on the floor but his head almost touching the wall behind him.

He’s not sure how long he’s been like that when he hears footsteps on the landing, heading towards his room. Glancing up he sees that he hasn’t fully closed the door to his room, and he knows he should sit up and make himself presentable for whomever has come looking for him, but he really isn’t in the mood to put on an act for Cooper or his mom or whichever family member has decided to check on him.

But it’s not a family member; it’s Kurt, who peeks at him through the open door and asks quietly, “Can I come in?”

“Of course,” Blaine says before heaving himself up into a sitting position.

Kurt takes a few steps into the room and stills. “I’m not going to ask if you’re ok, because I know there’s no way you could be ok in this situation. But I will ask if there’s anything I can do for you.”

Blaine’s mouth is moving before his conscious mind has a chance to even think about Kurt’s offer. “Honestly, I could really use a hug.”

Kurt quirks his mouth in a half-smile. “Well, I can certainly do a hug, and you’re in luck because I happen to know that Hummel hugs are the best hugs of all.”

“I don’t doubt that for a second,” Blaine responds honestly, watching as Kurt steps over and sits next to him on the bed.

“C’mere,” Kurt says, wrapping his arms around the older man, and Blaine sinks into his embrace, feeling peaceful if not happy.

They stay that way for what seems like a long time to Blaine, and maybe it actually is, because eventually Kurt pulls away slightly. “Honey, there is no time limit on your Hummel hugs today, but there is a time limit on how long I can stay sitting in this position. Come on.” He tugs Blaine backwards until they both have their backs against the wall, Kurt cross-legged with an arm wrapped around Blaine, keeping him close to his side. Blaine tucks his head under Kurt’s chin and feels some of the tension leave his muscles as he leans his weight against the solid body beside him.

Kurt brings the arm that he doesn’t already have wrapped around Blaine up to start rubbing his arm gently. Blaine drifts for a while longer, before a thought occurs to him. “You’re so big.”

The hand on his arm stills for a second before continuing, and Kurt says, “What?”

“You’re so big- so tall. I never really noticed until now. When we first met, you were so little. Do you remember?”

Kurt huffs quietly. “I remember that you thought I was 10 when I was a month away from turning 13. You’re lucky you didn’t do lasting damage to my young pride.”

“As if I could ever have that much power over you.”

Kurt hums his agreement, and they settle into a few more moments of silence before he asks, “Feeling any better?”

Blaine sighs and shifts up a bit so he can look at Kurt. “Yes. Hummel hugs clearly do have magical healing properties.”

Kurt smiles at him. “I’m glad. I was worried about you downstairs; you looked like you were about to blow a gasket. Then you came up here and I wasn’t sure if you wanted to be alone, or…” He trails off.

“Nah. I just need a break from all the sycophants singing my father’s praises.” He regrets the harsh statement immediately. “Sorry. I shouldn’t say that. I’m upset. It’s his funeral- obviously people are going to remember the best of him, as they should.”

Kurt takes his time responding. “That’s true, but it doesn’t mean that you have to be comfortable with it, or that you have to pretend that your dad ever won any father-of-the-year awards. You and your dad had a very complicated relationship, and now that he’s gone, your feelings towards him are probably just as complicated.”

“How did you get so wise?”

Kurt snorts. “Well it certainly wasn’t the stimulating education provided to me by McKinley High.”

Based on everything Kurt has told him, Blaine is forced to agree. “Yeah, that doesn’t seem very likely. It must be more Hummel magic. Hummel hugs, Hummel wisdom, Hummel cooking- are there any other fabulous talents I’ve yet to discover?”

Kurt’s eyebrows rise as he gives Blaine a mock-serious look. “Blaine, I’ve already let you in on two Hummel secrets today. You can’t honestly expect me to reveal anything else to you right now.”

“Hmmph. Well, I suppose it’s a good thing you’re moving to New York this summer. I’ll have you all to myself for at least four years, and that should definitely be enough time to uncover your secrets.”

“You’re welcome to try, but I can’t guarantee success,” Kurt replies.

“That’s ok. I’ll take my chances. After all, I have had pretty good luck so far.”

They lapse into silence again, and without Kurt’s conversation to buoy his mood, he finds his thoughts returning to his father and the mourners below.

He must tense, or maybe he makes a noise, because Kurt whispers to him softly, “Hey, you’re ok.”

Blaine shakes his head as much as he can without dislodging it from Kurt’s shoulder. He takes a deep, shuddering breath and says, “I’m really pissed off.”

“At your dad?” Kurt questions.

“At my dad. At Cooper. At everyone down there who is completely ignoring the fact that my dad spent the last 20 years treating me like a slightly out-of-date sweater- not something that’s worth thinking or talking about, but you’ve had it so long, that hey, you might as well keep it around- especially if you can keep it in the closet as much as possible!”

He’s building steam now. “I mean, would it have honestly been that hard to have a conversation with me? Not even about being gay or my boyfriends or whatever, but about my career or my hobbies or anything besides the stupid weather! I’m just so angry with him, and I never told him that, and now I’m never going to be able to tell him that, and the worst part is that I miss him like crazy. He was an emotionally unavailable, selfish homophobe, and I miss the way he mixed raisins into his salad and insisted on going through all the vertical clues in the crossword puzzle first and told my mom these really, really corny jokes, and I just-.” He cuts off with a sob, and suddenly he’s crying, hard and messy and like he hasn’t done in years.

Kurt tightens his arms and holds him close, rocking him slightly and murmuring into his hair, “It’s ok. It’s ok to cry Blaine. It’s ok, honey.”

It’s a surprisingly short time before the sobs wracking his body settle into tears that feel a little less out of control. The hand that has been stroking his arm reaches up to cradle his face, and Kurt presses a kiss to the top of his head, his forehead, his cheek. And then Kurt’s lips are on his, just a slight pressure, no more than what he’s given for his previous kisses, before he starts to tilt his head away towards the opposite cheek. Blaine doesn’t let him get that far; he presses back into the kiss, opens his mouth enough to suck Kurt’s lower lip between his own, starts to push forward for more- and then it’s done. Kurt pulls away just enough to kiss Blaine’s other cheek, and then his forehead again, before tucking Blaine firmly back beneath his chin and lowering his hand to Blaine’s arm.

He hears Kurt whisper one more, “It’s ok, Blaine. It’s ok.” His mind is whirling and his heart is racing, but as his tears slow down, he also feels suddenly drained and exhausted, like he’s just run a marathon. As Kurt continues to soothe him, he feels himself start to drift away.

When he wakes up, it’s dark outside and Kurt is gone. His shoes are off, and he has a blanket draped over him. The silence from downstairs lets him know that most, if not all the guests are gone. He sits up groggily and switches on the bedside lamp. Sitting next to it, half tucked under the alarm clock is a note:

_Blaine, you look like you could use some rest. I’m going to ask your mom not to wake you. Call me if you need anything. I’ll probably see you tomorrow- I offered to help your mom sort through all the cards and donations. --Kurt_

\---

After the funeral and the visitation, Burt and Kurt walk home together. They head to their respective bedrooms to change out of their suits, and Burt decides he wants a shower as well. When he’s showered and dressed in his normal jeans and flannel, he heads back downstairs. He finds Kurt curled up on the living room couch, holding a mug of tea in his hands, and staring blankly out the dark window.

“How you holding up, buddy?”

Kurt turns his attention away from the window to look at him. “I think I’m doing as well as can be expected. I was just thinking about Blaine and Pam. This must be so hard for them.”

Rubbing his hand over his scalp, Burt closes the distance between and sits down on the couch. He isn’t at all surprised when Kurt scoots over and leans his head on his shoulder.

“It’s a hard thing, losing someone you love. But we both know that, don’t we?”

Kurt takes a deep breath before he replies. “Yes, we do. But I think it’s different for them, or at least for Blaine. When Mom died, we were just so sad, and Blaine is-,” he cuts himself off abruptly.

“Blaine is what?”

Kurt shrugs and doesn’t offer to complete his statement, but Burt wants to pursue this a little further. “You two disappeared for a pretty long time during the visitation.” He lets Kurt hear the question in his voice.

Kurt frowns a little, clearly not wanting to divulge too much about Blaine at the moment, but he does say, “He was upset. He needed a break away from all those people who either knew a very different John Anderson than we did, or were at least pretending that they did.”

Burt had known this would be a difficult situation for Blaine; it’s always been clear that the two Andersons had a whole host of unresolved issues, and now there’s no chance of them ever working through their issues. He sighs and says, “Yeah, I can imagine how tough that would be for him, and that brother of his sure isn’t any help.”

Kurt makes an aggravated noise in the back of his throat. “God, Cooper? Was he serious with that eulogy?”

“Makes me think it was a good thing that he’s barely been around the past few years, if that’s what he has to bring to the family.” Burt doesn’t want to speak ill of someone who just lost their father, but Cooper’s meandering, self-aggrandizing eulogy had probably been based more on movie scripts than any actual memories of his father. “He’s certainly a whole lot different from Blaine, isn’t he?”

Kurt nods against his shoulder. “You can say that again. He makes me glad I’m an only child.”

Burt has to smile at that, but it fades quickly as he thinks about what Blaine is probably going through right now. “How was Blaine when you left him?”

His son makes a quick fluttering motion with his hands, a tell for when he’s nervous or uncomfortable. “He was asleep. I- he, he was exhausted. I asked Pam to let him rest. Hopefully he still is.”

He pulls back enough to look Burt in the eyes, and says, “I really love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, Kurt. I love you too.”

\---

When Blaine awakens the next morning, the sun is shining high and bright enough through his windows that he doesn’t need to look at the clock to know he’s slept much later than he usually does, and certainly much later than he was intending. He’d woken last night just long enough to change into pajamas and brush his teeth before collapsing back into bed, and his body feels stiff and weak like it always does when he’s slept too long.

He pushes back the bedclothes, stands up, and looks at himself in the mirror for a long moment before the thought hits him hard- _I kissed Kurt_. Dear Lord, he kissed Kurt. What had he been thinking? He’s never even thought of Kurt like that before, and then suddenly he was kissing him. He feels disgusted with himself and is overcome with the desire to shower thoroughly.

Blaine strips off his clothes and heads quickly into the ensuite bathroom. He steps into the shower and turns the water on as hot as he can stand, his thoughts still swirling around last night’s kiss. At least, that is until he realizes that thinking of kissing Kurt while standing naked in the shower might be even worse than actually having kissed Kurt, and he determinedly wrenches his focus away and fishes around for something else to think about. He lands on his retirement savings. That’s a nice safe topic; after all what could be more neutral or boring than his IRA earnings?

He concentrates on rates of return and tax law minutia until he’s out of the shower and standing in his room, trying to decide what to wear. Panic rises up in his throat when he realizes he’s going to see Kurt today- that there’s a good chance he might be downstairs right now. What does one wear to apologize for kissing a friend half your age? He doesn’t think he has a bowtie that says ‘I’m sorry I’m such a horrible person.’ He finally settles on dark jeans and a black sweater, thinking that the dark colors might help to demonstrate his remorse.

When he gets downstairs, Blaine finds that his earlier prediction was correct; Kurt is indeed here already, seated at the dining room table with Cooper and Blaine’s mom. The table is covered in small stacks of cards, letters, and other papers, and Kurt seems to be in the middle of making a long list of names and addresses. All three glance up as he enters, and Blaine feels his trepidation peak into something much closer to outright fear. Kurt offers him a small smile, which adds confusion to his mess of emotions, but it’s his mom that greets him.

“Blaine, dear, you’re finally up. I was afraid you’d sleep right through Cooper leaving. We have to head out in 20 minutes if we want him to make his flight on time.”

Blaine opens his mouth to respond but finds that Kurt’s presence in the room has rendered him mute. He raises his hand in an awkward semi-wave, and then brings it up to run over his gelled-down hair.

Cooper laughs at him. “What’s the matter, Blainey? Are you still asleep? There’s coffee in the kitchen- maybe it will turn you into a real boy.”

For once grateful for his brother’s presence, Blaine takes up his suggestion and walks quickly into the kitchen. Inside, he does indeed find a pot half full of coffee, and he takes his time pouring himself a cup. He fiddles with adding creamer and sugar as long as he thinks is even slightly reasonable before he straightens his shoulders and walks back out of the kitchen, prepared to face his doom.

He finds that Cooper is collecting his bags, making a last-minute check to ensure he has everything he needs, while his mom talks with Kurt at the table.

“Don’t worry about it,” Kurt says. “I’ll stay here and keep working; I’m sure I can rope Blaine into helping, and we should have all of this done by the time you get back from the airport.”

“That’s so kind of you, Kurt. I really don’t know what we’d do without you.” Blaine watches as his mother reaches over to grip Kurt’s arm affectionately. Then she stands and begins collecting her coat and purse. She turns to where Blaine is still standing silently, holding his cup of coffee. “I’ll be back in a few hours, Blaine. Kurt will show you what we’ve been up to here.” She gestures at the papers covering the table.

When his brother walks over to hug him goodbye, Blaine finally finds his voice, and he wishes Cooper a safe flight and tells his mom he’ll see her soon.

Then they’ve left, and he’s alone with Kurt, who is watching him with curiosity. “Are you alright, Blaine? You still look really out of it.” He stands from the table. “Maybe you need more than coffee in your system. Come on, I’ll fix you some breakfast.”

Kurt walks into the kitchen, and Blaine can only follow after him helplessly. He watches as Kurt pulls out a plate and opens the fridge. “What do you feel like? I’d offer to cook you something, but people have brought over so much food in the past few days, and you really should eat it before it goes bad.”

As Kurt spoons fruit salad and yogurt onto the plate and pulls a muffin out of a large Tupperware container, Blaine can’t help but wonder if he’s entered some sort of parallel universe. Did he _not_ kiss Kurt last night? For the briefest of moments Blaine considers the possibility that what happened last night was a dream, but the memory of Kurt’s mouth against his is far too real for that to be the case.

“There’s frittata too, if you’re still hungry after this,” Kurt says as he places a fork and the plate of breakfast on the counter in front of Blaine before settling onto a stool across from him.  

Blaine swallows heavily and decides to man up. “I am so, so sorry Kurt. I was completely out of line last night, and I just hope that you’ll be able to forgive me one day.”

Kurt narrows his eyes at him. “Blaine, what are you talking about?” he asks slowly.

“Last night, Kurt. I, I kissed you!”

“Actually,” Kurt drawls, “I think that I kissed you.”

“Yeah, but then I pushed you- I kissed you back!” Blaine doesn’t understand why Kurt is so calm about this.

“I realize I’m not exactly an expert when it comes to kissing, but I was under the impression that when someone kisses you it’s perfectly acceptable to kiss them back.” Kurt’s response is infuriating in its logic; does he not understand what they’re talking about?

“Kurt, last night was emotional for both of us, and I think that you’re not thinking clearly. Sooner or later-,” Kurt doesn’t let him finish that sentence.

“Wait, _I’m_ not thinking clearly?” He reaches across the counter and grabs Blaine’s wrist, then looks at him very steadily. “Blaine. Neither of us did anything wrong last night. We’re friends, right?”

He’s clearly expecting a response, so Blaine lets out a hesitant “Yes.”

“Ok, good. At least we’re on the same page about that. Friends kiss each other all the time; it’s not a big deal.”

Blaine is highly skeptical. “Really?”

Kurt nods. “Absolutely.”

“So you kiss your friends a lot?”

This seems to take Kurt aback for a moment, but he recovers quickly. “Well, I wouldn’t say a lot, but I’ve kissed friends before.”

This response does nothing to relieve Blaine’s doubt, so he asks, “Who? When?”

Kurt’s fingers tighten around his wrist, probably in irritation, but he raises his chin and says, “Mercedes and Brittney both kissed me on New Year’s Eve, and I know I told you about kissing Rachel during that disastrous West Side Story audition. It’s perfectly normal. Friends kiss each other to say hello, to celebrate, or sometimes to comfort each other. That was what last night was, Blaine- one friend comforting another.”

Blaine stares at Kurt for a long time, trying to decide how truthful he’s being. Finally he says, “You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Are we ok?”

“Of course we’re ok, Kurt, as long as you’re really not upset.”

“I’m not upset.” Kurt pauses and frowns. “Blaine, I know I said that neither of us did anything wrong, but maybe _I_ did something wrong last night, if it upset _you_ this much. Do I owe you an apology?”

Blaine shakes his head rapidly and pulls his wrist out from under Kurt’s hand only to grasp it tightly. “No, no, not at all. I was never upset about what you did. You were incredibly kind last night, Kurt; you gave me exactly what I needed to get through a very trying time. I’m sorry that I overreacted so badly.” He smiles sheepishly across the counter and is rewarded with a smile from Kurt.

“I think we’ve have enough apologies for one morning.” He pulls his hand away and gestures towards the plate that is sitting untouched in front of Blaine. “Eat your breakfast. I want to have everything on the dining room table finished and cleared up before Pam gets back.”

Blaine reaches obediently for his fork and feels grateful for another example of Hummel wisdom in action.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Kurt is 19, Blaine is 36

“Hi Dad!” Kurt’s voice sounds cheerful but slightly tinny through the tiny speakers on Burt’s cellphone. He hates using the thing, but Kurt had convinced him to get a family plan, and it really does save money to call his son on the cell compared to the home phone.

“Hey, buddy. How are you?”

“I’m good. I’m sorry I didn’t get back to you after you called last night. I had a late study group and then I had to work and turn in my final project today.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Burt responds. “How did the project turn out? As good as you’d hoped?”

“I think so. I guess we’ll know for sure once the grades are posted.”

“Well, I’m sure you did great, Kurt. Listen, I don’t want to keep you long because I know you still have a couple finals to go. I just wanted to touch base about the trip arrangements. I talked to Pam, and she’s got a dentist appointment Friday morning, so I asked Ricky to cover for me at the shop, and I’ll come pick you and Blaine up from the airport. Sound good?”

“Of course, Dad. That should work fine. I’ll let Blaine know. You’ve got our itinerary already, right?”

As a matter of fact, Burt has it printed out in front of him, so he reassures Kurt that he has their flight numbers and other information.

“Ok. I’ll call or text you if there’s any delays. I can’t wait to see you!”

Burt smiles at the excitement in Kurt’s tone. When Kurt started college, he was a little worried that living in the big city and going to a fancy school like Parsons would make Kurt less than eager to come back home to Ohio, but his son has shown him how foolish that concern was. “I can’t wait either- just a few more days now. Good luck on your exams, Kurt. I love you.”

“Love you too, Dad. Bye.”

Burt hangs up the phone and glances at his watch. He should head out soon if he wants to make it to his doctor’s appointment on time. Since his heart attack two years ago he’s been visiting his doctor regularly and has received a clean bill of health each time; however, the last visit hadn’t gone as smoothly and he’d been asked to come back in today. He hopes it’s nothing serious; he would hate to upset Kurt over the holidays.

\---

Blaine hands Kurt a refreshed mug of peppermint tea and settles back down next to him on the couch. Kurt immediately resumes his earlier position snuggled up against him, and flicks the blanket covering his lap so that it’s over Blaine as well.

“I think I’m still in shock,” Blaine says, and beside him Kurt sighs.

“I know. I mean, I’ve cried and I’m scared, but I don’t think it’s really set in yet. The last time he was sick it was so immediate, so urgent. Now he looks fine! And he’s not even starting treatment until next month.” Kurt sighs and takes a sip of his tea. “My dad has cancer.” He sounds like he’s testing how it feels on his tongue. It’s probably only the second time he’s said it- the first being when he’d come over to tell Blaine earlier that evening.

Blaine wraps an arm around him and holds him close. “He does. He also has a girlfriend.”

Kurt groans. “Don’t remind me. I can’t believe he told me like that.” He lowers his voice and adopts a gruff tone that is clearly supposed to imitate Burt, “Kurt, I’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is really horrible and the good news is that I’m in love with Finn Hudson’s mother.” Kurt switches back to talking in his normal voice. “Finn Hudson. I honestly don’t know what I’m going to do if they end up getting married and Finn and I become step-brothers.”

“He’s not all that bad, is he?” Blaine queries.

Kurt takes another sip of tea before answering. “No, I suppose he’s not. When he and Rachel got serious in high school she put a stop to the worst of his nonsense- she has two gay dads, you know. But I haven’t seen him since Rachel and I moved to New York. I’m not even sure if they’re still together. Maybe he’s grown as a person; he was never a bad guy- just a little spineless and misguided.”

“What about his mom?”

“Carole? I’ve actually only met her a few times- a couple of times at parties at Finn’s house, and she came to a few of the Glee performances too. She always seemed nice- in need of a good makeover though.”

Blaine laughs. “Well that seems up your alley. Maybe you guys will have something to bond over besides your dad.”

“Maybe,” Kurt replies. “It’s weird thinking of him in a relationship, but I’m glad he has someone, especially now that I’m so far away and he’s sick.” His voice wavers on the last part, and Blaine squeezes him tight and kisses the side of his forehead.

“Do you remember what I told you the last time your dad was sick? I told you he was the toughest man I know, and that’s still the case. He can get through this, Kurt. I truly believe that.”

Kurt looks up at him with determination in his gaze. “You’re right; he is tough, and if anyone can beat this, it’s him.”

Blaine can only hope that they’re right.

\---

Burt is sitting in the living room reading the newspaper when Kurt comes home from after-Christmas shopping at the mall, his arms loaded with bags. “Hey, Dad!” he greets as he takes off his winter layers and sets down his bags.

“Hey, Kurt. Did you and Blaine have fun shopping?” Kurt walks into the room and slides gracefully into the chair opposite Burt.

“We did. There’s not as much selection here as in New York, obviously, but the prices are so much more affordable. It was definitely worth the trip.” Kurt smiles, and not for the first time Burt is grateful for how well Kurt has taken the news of his illness. He had been worried that it would ruin their holiday and sour Kurt’s spirits, but while there have been tears and some serious conversations about treatment options and possible outcomes, Kurt has clearly been trying hard to stay cheerful. He baked cookies with Pam and Blaine, chatted politely with Carole and Finn when they had them over on Christmas Eve, and even consented to watch a football game with Burt. The week that he’s been home so far can’t have been what he had imagined, but Burt can see that Kurt’s trying to make the best of it.

Feeling thankful for the support, Burt decides to indulge Kurt in one of his son’s favorite topics. “You and Blaine do a lot of that in New York? Shopping, I mean?”

“Some. My budget is limited, and as you know, I still prefer to make my own clothes or alter a great thrift store find, but it’s fun to splurge sometimes. But mostly when I’m with Blaine we’re just watching tv, or listening to music, or cooking. Sometimes we go out to eat too; Blaine knows all the best little restaurants that are tucked away on side streets.”

“It sounds like you guys have been having a lot of fun together,” Burt comments.

“We have! It’s so nice to have him around all the time, and not just during holidays and vacations. I’m definitely getting spoiled with my full-Blaine access.”

“I somehow doubt that he minds,” Burt says with a smile. It’s been clear for a long time just how much Kurt and Blaine have in common, and how much they enjoy each other’s company. “And what about your school friends? Do you have time for them with work and school and Blaine?”

Kurt nods. “I do. It’s easier with them, actually, because we’re on campus together and we see each other in class or at the library, and I think I told you that Andie and Dannie from my work are at Parsons too. And of course there’s Rachel. Even though we don’t go to the same school, she seems to always be around.”

Burt can’t help but chuckle at that. “Yeah, knowing Rachel that doesn’t surprise me.” He clears his throat and tries to think of the best way to broach the next topic. “And, uh, any special guys out there? You haven’t mentioned anyone.”

Kurt raises an eyebrow at him and looks like he’s debating whether or not to answer. Eventually he shrugs and says, “Not really. I’ve gone out on some dates- guys from my classes or that friends set me up with, but there’s nobody special yet.”

“Dates, huh? You do a lot of that?”

Kurt’s eyebrow inches even closer to his hairline. “I suppose it depends on what you consider a lot. There certainly doesn’t seem to be a shortage of candidates, which is a nice change from Lima, even if none of them have that spark I’m looking for.”

Burt leans forward to look more directly at Kurt. “Well, just remember what I said to you before you moved to New York. You matter Kurt. And yeah, dating can be fun, but don’t let it get out of control. You gotta respect yourself.”

Kurt is blushing now, hot and bright. “Dad! You really don’t need to worry about that. I haven’t even kissed any of the guys I’ve gone out with. I remember what you told me; I’m not going to throw myself around.”

Burt is relieved to hear him say that, but he wonders if he’d made his case just a little too strong back when he gave Kurt the talk, if his son isn’t even kissing anyone.

“I’m glad to hear it, bud. But you know, I’m not saying you shouldn’t kiss a guy if you want to. Nothing wrong with a little kissing, as long as you know your limits. I bet you’d even enjoy it.”

If possible, it looks like Kurt has turned an even darker shade of red. He leans forward and hisses at Burt, as if he’s afraid that someone might overhear them in the empty house, “Oh my God, Dad, please stop. I do know what kissing is like, and yes, I enjoy it. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go around and kiss every gay guy in New York!”

Burt focuses on just one part of Kurt’s statement. “So you have kissed a guy?” he asks a bit gleefully.

Kurt goes stock still and some of the color seems to drain out of him. He glares at Burt but responds anyway, “Yes, and it was a very nice moment, and that is all I am going to say on the subject.” He reaches forward and grabs the remote, turns on the television, and makes a point of ignoring his father.

Burt doesn’t mind; his conversation with Kurt has given him a lot to think about. He doesn’t like to pry too much into his son’s life, but as a father with only one child, he thinks his curiosity is at an acceptable level. Kurt has kissed a guy, but he hasn’t kissed any of the ones he’s dated in New York. Burt sincerely doubts he’d been kissing anyone while he was at Mckinley. That means that Kurt has either kissed a stranger, which seems very unlike him, or that Kurt has kissed someone he knows but hasn’t dated. A gay man that he knows well enough to feel comfortable kissing- there’s really only one person who matches that description.

Kurt has kissed Blaine Anderson.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just two more chapters left after this one! Thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and commenting.

Chapter 9- Kurt is 20, Blaine is 37

Burt finishes the last bit of chicken on his plate and leans back with a smile. “It is really good to have you home, Kurt. Carole and I cook when we can, but we definitely don’t have anything on you in the kitchen.”

His son smiles at him and stands to begin clearing the table. “I’m glad you like it. It’s actually not a very hard dish to make, and it fits your diet. I’ll send Carole the recipe; I’m sure she’ll be able to make it without any problems.”

“Great. I’m positive once she tries the leftovers she’ll want to make herself.” Burt stands as well, and joins Kurt in cleaning up after the meal.

When they’ve settled at the sink, with Kurt washing and Burt drying, he asks, “So what’s Adam doing for Christmas? It seems like it would be pretty expensive to fly back to England.”

Kurt doesn’t look up from the pan he’s scrubbing. “Yeah, it has to be. He’s spending the holidays in Maine with a couple friends.” There’s a pause, and then Kurt adds, “Adam and I actually broke up last week.”

Burt raises a hand to put on Kurt’s shoulder but stops the movement mid-air when he realizes that it’s dripping wet; he knows how picky Kurt is about his clothing. So instead he says, “I’m real sorry to hear that Kurt.” _Sorry_ , he thinks to himself, _but not surprised_.

Kurt waves a hand in the air to dismiss Burt’s statement. “It’s ok. It wasn’t really an epic Taylor Swift song breakup. We just sort of… petered out. I mean, we had fun going to karaoke and eating dinner together and everything, but it wasn’t really any different than doing that stuff with any of my friends. And with Adam having to focus on his senior project in the spring, and then heading back to England when he graduates, it didn’t seem to make sense to keep dating.”

Burt nods. “Well, I’m sorry it didn’t work out, kiddo, but I’m glad you’re not too upset about it. You know what they say- there’s plenty of fish in the sea.” Although in his son’s case, Burt is fairly certain there’s only one fish in particular that Kurt is truly interested in, a fish who’s probably sitting in the house next door wearing a bowtie and watching Christmas movies.

A year ago, when Burt had first suspected that there might be something more than friendship between his son and Blaine, he hadn’t known what to think. The idea of Kurt being with someone so much older and more experienced than him, even someone he knew as well as Blaine, had worried him a great deal. But the more he thought about it, and the more he listened to Kurt talk about all the things he and Blaine did together, the more accepting Burt became of the idea of the two of them together.

He’d always know that Kurt was an extremely rare, unique person. It went far beyond just his sexuality: his creativity, his confidence, his morality, his sharp wit and even sharper tongue, his very precise way of dealing with the world around him, his habit of wearing his heart on his sleeve but at the same time keeping it encased in glass to protect it from others- these are all things that makes Kurt special, but Burt also knows that they can make it difficult for him to connect with others. And yet somehow, Kurt has never had a problem connecting with Blaine. Even when his son was still a kid, the two of them had seemed to always find something in common to talk or laugh about. Add to that the fact that Burt knows that Blaine is an incredibly kind, loving, and generous man, and he’s found it impossible not to privately accept the idea of Kurt and Blaine being together. He’s still a little uncomfortable with the age difference because he knows it might cause problems for practical reasons, but he is confident that if and when Blaine and Kurt begin a relationship, Blaine will not use his age to dictate or control Kurt in any way.

Having reached that realization in late February, Burt had then begun anticipating that his son would announce a relationship with Blaine at any time. He thought it might happen in March, when Kurt came home for Spring Break with Blaine firmly in tow, or perhaps in May when Kurt made a quick trip back to Lima to hear the doctor provide Burt with a clean bill of health, or during the two weeks that Kurt spent visiting during early August for Burt and Carole’s wedding, once again accompanied by Blaine. But it hadn’t happened during any of those occasions, nor during any of the phone calls and emails that came between Kurt’s visits.

Burt was certain that his son wasn’t keeping anything from him. After all, Blaine was ever-present in all of Kurt’s updates, with stories of their weekly dinners, tv marathons, and daytrips receiving just as much attention as Kurt’s schoolwork and definitely more than his mentions of other friends. There was just no way that Kurt was capable of spending so much time talking about Blaine and simultaneously hiding anything about the nature of their relationship from Burt. He knew his son too well for that. Burt was convinced it was just a matter of time before Kurt and Blaine acknowledged that there was the potential for more than friendship between them.

So it had caught him by surprise when Kurt started dating Adam, a guy he’d met through Rachel. He’d told Burt about him after their third date, and a week later he had proudly informed his father that he and Adam were now officially boyfriends. Burt was happy if Kurt was happy, and he certainly wasn’t going to object to his son dating a seemingly nice man his own age. From everything that Kurt said, Adam was the perfect first boyfriend- kind, funny, and interested in the same things as his son. And Kurt, if not exactly smitten, had certainly seemed charmed by Adam. But he doubted that charmed was enough to maintain a relationship, especially when the appearance of a boyfriend in Kurt’s life seemed to in no way impede on the time he spent with Blaine. At one point Burt had even asked Kurt if Blaine and Adam had met, and if they got along. His son, his sometimes wonderfully oblivious son, had told him quite confidently that both men thought the other was “just wonderful.” Burt had his suspicions about the likelihood of that, but he’d kept them to himself.

So now here they are, three months after Kurt had first mentioned Adam, and Burt cannot even pretend to be surprised by his son’s announcement. Still, he should be supportive and considerate of what Kurt might be feeling. He thinks about what Kurt might need after his very first break-up. “So, uh, I don’t know all the specific rules, but from what I remember with all your Glee friends in high school, there are some break-up rituals that need to happen, right? You were always heading over to Rachel’s or Mercedes’ house with sad movies and chocolate when one of them broke up with a boyfriend. Is there something you want to do?”

Kurt turns to him and gives him a wide, authentic smile. “Thanks, Dad, but I’m good. Blaine had me over for a break-up movie night before we flew out, and he fed me pizza and chocolate caramel cheesecake until I almost burst.”

 _I bet he did_ , think Burt, but aloud he says, “Well, ok then. But you let me know if there’s anything I can do, alright Kurt?”

Kurt smiles again. “Thanks, Dad. I will.”

\---

It’s almost midnight, and the party is in full swing. The Anderson house is full of friends and family preparing to ring in the New Year, and Blaine is particularly eager for the calendar to turn. It certainly hasn’t been a bad year, but there had been the added stress of Burt’s illness and more recently Kurt’s- Blaine cuts off that train of thought immediately. He’s had a lot to be grateful for in 2013, but he is definitely looking forward to 2014.

He looks around to see how his mom is doing, and not seeing her, he maneuvers around the room until he’s standing by the wall a few feet from the door to the kitchen. He’s found his mom now; she’s across the room, deep in conversation with what Blaine thinks is a second cousin- a little girl in a party dress and blonde pigtails who is clearly excited to be staying up so late. His mom looks happy, refreshed, and much younger than she had a few years ago. She’s been enjoying herself since his father died, traveling more and devoting time to her own interests. Blaine knows that she would never describe it in such terms, but he thinks that caring for John Anderson had been a huge source of stress for her and his death, while painful, had eventually allowed her to thrive again.

Kurt edges up next to him, narrowly avoiding the flaying arm of a neighbor who Blaine thinks has probably had just a tad too much to drink, if his loud, animated storytelling is anything to go by. Kurt must have seen where his attention had just been focused because he leans close and says, “She looks happy.”

Blaine angles his body so they’re facing each other and replies, “Yes, she really does. So does your dad.” He nods his head towards where he can just barely make out Burt and Carole.

Kurt glances in that direction and then smiles. “I know. It’s nice to see everyone happy for once. All told, it’s been a pretty good year, hasn’t it?” He brings his glass to his mouth and takes a sip.

Blaine hadn’t noticed the glass until now. “Kurt, are you drinking?” he hisses.

He gets an eye roll in response. “Relax, Blaine. I’m having half a glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve; I don’t think anyone is going to call the cops.”

“But your dad is here!”

Kurt laughs. “You have this weird mental image of my dad. Do you honestly think he cares if I have a few sips of champagne, in a safe setting surrounded by friends and family?”

“I guess not. He just makes me nervous.”

Kurt gives him a strange look. “Really? He never used to.”

Blaine is saved from having to explain why exactly he’s been growing more and more nervous around the all-seeing Burt when a small commotion runs through the room. The clock on the wall indicates it’s just two minutes until midnight, and most of the partygoers are crowding into the living room, where the television is turned to Time Square. Someone must turn it up because he can suddenly make out the over-exuberant voice of the program’s host. He turns his attention back to Kurt. “Do you want to head in there?” he asks, gesturing towards the living room.

“No, we wouldn’t be able to get through anyway. Let’s just stay here.” He’s probably right; the living room is packed, and the few people left in the dining room them are crowding around the entrance way, eyes fixed on the televised countdown in the next room.

Kurt reaches down to place his champagne glass on a small table and faces Blaine once again. “Are you ready for a new year?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Blaine replies.

People start counting down the seconds, and Kurt and Blaine join in quietly. After they hit one, and the house is filled with a chorus of “Happy New Year”, noisemakers, and smacking lips, Blaine leans up on his tiptoes to kiss Kurt’s cheek. He’s not sure if Kurt has grown yet again or if it’s just the boots he’s wearing, but he seems taller than usual to Blaine, and he ends up leaning in closer and reaching out to grip Kurt’s shoulder to steady himself. He had intended the kiss to be nothing more than a quick peck, the sort of thing that he and Kurt have exchanged a number of times on birthdays and holidays over the past few years. But with Kurt’s broad shoulder under his hand, the smell of his cologne in his nose, and the faint feel of stubble under his lips, he finds himself frozen for one breath, then two, with his mouth pressed against Kurt’s cheek.

Across the room there’s the bang of a loud party popper, and Blaine jerks away, looking frantically around to see if anyone has noticed his lapse. When his gaze finds Kurt’s again, he’s surprised by the heat in the other man’s eyes, and even more surprised when his wrist is gripped tightly in Kurt’s hand and he’s pulled into the kitchen.

Kurt glances around hastily to make sure they’re alone and then backs Blaine up until he’s pressed against the wall next to the door, his wrist still encircled by strong fingers. Kurt steps in close until there is barely a centimeter of space between them and lowers his head until his forehead is touching Blaine’s. For one, two, three astonishing seconds Blaine is sure Kurt is going to kiss him, if he doesn’t die from the suspense first, but when Kurt opens his mouth it’s to speak, not to kiss.

“Blaine. Do you remember that conversation we had a few years ago about kissing?” His voice is breathy and high.

“I... What?” is the best that Blaine can come up with in reply.

“We talked about all the different times that friends can kiss each other. Do you remember?”

Blaine is fairly certain he has the entirety of that conversation permanently etched in his memory, but he simply says, “Yes, I remember.”

“One of the times was to celebrate New Year’s. And it’s New Year’s. And I want to celebrate. Do you?” Kurt’s sentences are short and choppy; Blaine’s not sure if it’s from nerves or excitement or another possibility that he refuses to think about. He doesn’t answer Kurt immediately, so the question is repeated. “Do you?”

He knows he should stop this, should pull away and make a joke. They could brush it off, and he and Kurt could go back to the rest of the party and forget this had ever happened. He knows that, he absolutely does. But Kurt’s thumb is drawing circles on his wrist, and Kurt’s breath is on his face and really, there’s no way he can do anything other than say, “Yes.”

That’s all it takes. Kurt’s mouth is on his before he can think, and the tiny space between their bodies is eliminated when Kurt presses himself flush against Blaine. The hand that had been gripping Blaine’s wrist goes to his hip and the other comes up to hold his cheek. They kiss hot and wet with their mouths opening to each other, and it turns out that Kurt’s tongue is just as incredible as the rest of him. At some point Blaine manages to wiggle his own arms up enough to wrap them around Kurt’s neck, and he finds out that he really, really likes the noise Kurt makes when he tangles a hand in his hair.

He’s not sure how long they stay like that, kissing with a passion that suggests much more than just a desire to celebrate the dawning of a new year, when Blaine realizes that their mouths and tongues aren’t the only things that are moving. Kurt’s hips are pressing rhythmically into his, and he’s responding in kind. This has gotten very, very intense very quickly, and if they don’t stop soon, Blaine knows they’ll do something they’ll both regret.

With a gasp, he pulls his mouth away from Kurt’s and turns his head to the side. He thinks that he should push Kurt away, get a little distance between their bodies, but he can’t seem to unwrap his arms from where they’re still firmly latched around Kurt’s neck. So instead, he just says, “Oh my god. Oh my god.”

Kurt says nothing, but he does drop his head to rest on Blaine’s shoulder, and they both stand there, panting heavily. He’s not sure how much time passes. A minute, maybe five? When he finally feels like he can breathe evenly again, he raises a hand to stroke through Kurt’s hair. Kurt, in turn, tilts his head enough to plant a soft kiss to Blaine’s neck, right along his collar. And then another, and another, and then he’s trailing kisses up Blaine’s neck and across his jaw until he finds Blaine’s mouth again.

His mouth opens so easily beneath Kurt’s, and before he knows it their brief respite is all but forgotten as their hands clutch at each other and their hips press together. But then Kurt’s hips give a particularly _vigorous_ swivel, and Blaine wrenches his mouth away, this time gripping Kurt’s shoulders and forcing him back a step. “Stop. Stop. We have to stop.”

Kurt looks dazed, and he blinks slowly a few times before saying, “You don’t want to?”

“Oh my god, Kurt, of course I want to. I’m pretty sure you could tell exactly how much I wanted to just a second ago.”

“Then why did you stop?” Kurt queries, looking genuinely confused and a little hurt.

Blaine takes a moment to think through his reply. “This is not a good idea. For one, we’re in my mother’s kitchen, and there are a couple of dozen people out there who could walk in at any time, including your father. And two, you’ve been drinking-.”

He’s cut off by Kurt’s indignant, “Blaine, I had half a glass of champagne. Less than that even. You can’t honestly think that my judgment is impaired.”

Blaine pulls away from Kurt’s grasp completely and walks over to grab a glass from the cupboard over the sink. He fills it to the top and drinks it all down at once, then looks over to where Kurt is watching him warily. “Ok. So how about number three? You’re my best friend, and I’m pretty sure I’m in love with you.” Kurt makes a garbled sound but Blaine doesn’t stop. “If we do this, whatever this is, it’s going to be serious from day one. We can’t just be friends who make out whenever the mood strikes us, and we can’t just casually try dating to see if it will work. We know each other too well for that. We mean too much to each other already to do that. If we start a relationship, it’s going to be intense, it’s going to be a commitment, and it’s going to be the real deal.”

Kurt is silent, clearly digesting Blaine’s words. While he waits for a response, Blaine refills his glass with water and sips it more leisurely this time. Then he fills another glass and walks it over to Kurt, who takes it and brings it slowly to his lips. When he’s drunk his fill, he walks over to the table and sets the glass down, then turns to face Blaine, who is leaning against the counter.

“You’re right. So where do we go from here?”

“Well, first,” Blaine states, “I’d like to know if you’re interested in what I’m interested in. I don’t want to assume that you want a long-term relationship with me just because we shared a few kisses. I mean, you did say you wanted to celebrate right? If that’s all you’re looking for, then you need to tell me that, and we can carry on being friends just like we’ve always been.”

Kurt laughs shakily. “I want more than just a holiday kiss, Blaine. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about you, about the possibility of us. But to honest, it’s not something I’ve thought about seriously; it’s always been a little daydream that I tried to cut short. I was always afraid that if I let myself think about it too much, it would end up ruining our friendship.” He looks intensely at Blaine and continues, “Blaine, your friendship means so much to me. I never, _never_ , want to do anything to jeopardize it.”

Blaine nods in agreement. “Ok. So whatever happens, our friendship comes first, right?”

“Right,” Kurt says. “But where does that leave us? We both want more, but we don’t want to wreck what we already have.”

Blaine takes a deep breath. “Can I be honest with you, Kurt?”

“Of course,” Kurt says, but he eyes him carefully.

Blaine licks his lips and runs a hand over his hair before saying, “I don’t think you’re ready for this.”

“What?” Kurt sounds both confused and hurt again, a combination Blaine is beginning to vehemently dislike.

Still, he soldiers on. “Well for one thing, you just got out of a relationship. I know you and Adam weren’t too serious, but he was still your first boyfriend, and you’ve only been broken up a few weeks. And you just said you hadn’t really thought too much about the possibility of me and you. Daydreams are all well and good, but you might find that you feel differently when you sit down and carefully examine the realities of the situation.”

“The realities of the situation,” Kurt repeats, obviously wanting Blaine to clarify what he means.

“Well,” Blaine begins, “I know you like spending time with me as a friend, but it’s possible that I don’t really match up with what you might want in a partner. That’s something you’ll need to think about.” He fidgets for a moment, trying to think of the best way to say what he knows needs to come next. “There’s also the age difference to consider.”

Kurt opens his mouth to jump in, but Blaine holds up a hand to stop him. “Let me say this. Please, Kurt. I’m seventeen years older than you. That doesn’t mean that we’re not equals or that we can’t have an equal partnership, but it does mean that you have significantly less experience navigating a romantic relationship, and unless you were really keeping things from me the last few months, pretty much no experience with anything more physical than kissing. It also means that there are going to be times when the timeline of our lives don’t particularly match up. You’ll be finishing school and starting a career when my professional life is peaking. I’ll retire years before you do. And I know we both want kids, but what if you don’t want them until I’m at a point where I feel too old to have them?”

He takes a deep breath and continues. “I’m not saying we can’t work through all those things, or that we shouldn’t try. I want to try, Kurt. I want to try more than anything. But these are all things I’ve thought about, and I think you need to take some time to think about them too. You need to decide if they’re things that you are willing to deal with. So I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t think we should jump into anything right away. Take some time. Make sure you’re over Adam and that your feelings for me are what you think they are. And think about everything else I just said. I don’t think our ages can stop us if this is what we truly want, but I think we need to acknowledge that they might be a hurdle that we will have to overcome more than once during the course of our relationship.”

When Blaine is done with his speech, he walks over and takes a seat at the kitchen table and watches as Kurt sinks into a chair next to him.

“Wow,” Kurt says, “You’ve really thought this through.”

“Yes, I have.”

“I think,” Kurt says slowly, “That I need to think this through as well. You’re right- I’m going to need some time.”

He reaches over and places a hand over one of Kurt’s, squeezing gently as he says, “Take all the time you need. I’m fairly certain there isn’t a time limit on this.”

He gets a weak smile from Kurt, but then it vanishes and Kurt says, “Wait. This doesn’t change anything, right? I mean we can still be friends and hang out and talk and do everything we normally do right? This whole taking time thing isn’t taking time apart, is it?”

Blaine shakes his head urgently. “No, no. We should absolutely keep doing everything we have been doing. I don’t want to change any of that. Except, well, if you could not date handsome foreign men, that would be great.”

This earns him a full-fledged laugh. “Deal. No dating other men at all. That goes for you too, ok?”

Blaine knows he’s blushing when he says, “Kurt, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I really haven’t dated much since you moved to New York. I went out with a couple of guys at first, but none of them could hold a candle to you, and I was never interested in a second date with any of them. I haven’t been out with anyone in over a year.”

“Oh,” Kurt sounds a little awed, “So you’ve _really_ been thinking about this.”

“Yes, I really have.”

Kurt is looking at him steadily, and there’s a growing glint in his eyes. “Is there any chance I can kiss you just one more time before we start the taking time process?”

Blaine considers this. “Well, technically it is still New Year’s, and we are friends, and we’ve already established that friends sometimes celebrate the New Year with a kiss.”

Kurt beams at him and bounces in his chair. “Ok. Ok. But we’re not going to get out of hand this time. It’s just going to be one quick kiss.”

Blaine nods. “Right. We should probably stay in our chairs and just sort of lean in, and keep our hands to ourselves.”

“Agreed. Ready?”

“Ready,” Blaine responds.

It isn’t exactly quick, but they stay in their chairs and don’t let their hands wander, so when they finally pull apart, Blaine decides to call it a victory.

Kurt looks decidedly happy, and smiling like that he truly is the handsomest man Blaine has ever seen, let alone kissed.

Eventually they both stand, and Kurt says, “Alright. Let’s go take some time.”

As Blaine follows him out of the kitchen, he’s grinning so hard it actually hurts. He just hopes that anyone who sees him will chalk it up the excitement of the party and not his suddenly flourishing hope for the year to come.

\---

Burt doesn’t particularly enjoy working holidays, especially when Kurt is home, but he’s only got a handful of employees at the shop, and he hates asking them to sacrifice family time if he can’t do the same. He’s never really understood it, but New Year’s Day has always been a busy one at the shop, with people coming in for oil changes, tire rotations, and every other form of routine maintenance under the sun. If he had to guess, he’d say that most of those people had made some sort of New Year’s resolution to take their car in, and had decided to do it before they lost momentum.

He can’t complain about the boost in register totals for the day, but he’s certainly glad to come home. Carole won’t be back from work for at least another hour, so when he takes off his coat and heads into the living room, he’s not surprised to find Kurt alone, staring blankly at a magazine on his lap with a mug of hot cocoa on the coffee table in front of him.

He glances up when Burt enters the room and says, “Hi, Dad. How was work?”

Burt sits down and puts his feet up before responding. “Pretty good. You know how it is on New Year’s.”

“You should have let me come in. I could have lent a hand with the routine stuff. I’m not that out of practice.”

He waves that suggestion off. “Nah. You work hard enough when you’re in New York. You’re on vacation now. Enjoy it.”

Kurt smiles and looks back down at his magazine, still not seeming to actually focus on it. Burt watches him in silence for a few minutes before he says, “So you want to talk about it?”

His question is met with confusion from Kurt. “Talk about what?”

“About you and Blaine,” Burt says simply.

The color drains from Kurt’s face and he grips the magazine so hard the pages bend beneath his fingers.

Burt doubts a response is forthcoming. “Come on, kiddo. You know you can talk to me about anything, and it sure looks like you’ve got something you’re thinking about pretty hard over there.”

Kurt clears his throat and says, “Blaine and I are friends. Best friends. You know that.”

Burt nods. “I do know that. I also know most people don’t look at their best friend the way you and Blaine look at each other.”

There’s a period of silence during which Kurt relaxes his hand and tries to smooth out the crinkles he’s made in the magazine on his lap. Finally he says, “We’re not- I mean we haven’t.” He stops himself and starts over more clearly, “We’ve talked about it, about there maybe being more than friendship one day. But we’ve decided that we need to take some time and think about it before we do anything.”

“And was that before or after you spent half an hour making out in his mother’s kitchen?”

“What?” Kurt screeches at him, his face flaming.

Burt raises his eyebrows. “I’ve got eyes, Kurt. As did everyone else at that party last night, though I doubt any of them were watching what you and Blaine were up to.”

“You were watching us?” Kurt looks highly affronted.

Burt shrugs. “Well, I kissed Carole at midnight and then I looked around for you. Figured I'd say ‘Happy New Year.’ But instead I saw you grabbing Blaine and high-tailing it into the kitchen. And if there was any doubt in my mind what you guys were getting up to in there, it was crystal clear when you came out _30 minutes later_ looking like you’d both been mauled.”

Kurt hides his face in his hands and mutters, “Oh my god,” under his breath. When he finally pulls his hands away, Burt is still watching him.

He continues on as if there had been no interruption. “So, Kurt, you can see why I’m a little confused. You say you and Blaine are taking some time to think things over, but it sure didn’t look that way last night.”

Kurt sighs and leans his head back against the couch, not looking at his dad. “It’s possible we had the conversation about taking some time to think _after_ we kissed a little.”

“A little?” Burt says incredulously, but Kurt still refuses to look at him.

Something else has occurred to Burt, and he asks his son, “So why didn’t you guys have this conversation the first time you kissed?”

Kurt goes completely still and then turns his head slowly towards his dad. “What?” he asks.

“Well, this wasn’t the first time you kissed him, right? So I’m wondering why you two didn’t sit down and hash things out the first time it happened.”

“How do you even know that?” Kurt asks.

Burt can’t help but smile at him. “I know you, Kurt. You’re my son. I’ve watched you grow up and become an incredible man that I’m so, so proud of. You’re different now that you were when you were a little boy, but you’re still _my boy_. I’ll always know you, and I hope you know that you can always come talk to me about anything- Blaine included.”

This gets him a smile for the first time in the conversation, and Kurt stands up, walks over, and hugs him hard. It’s a little awkward with Burt still sitting down, but he hugs back as best he can.

“Thank you, Dad. That means so much to me.” He takes a few steps away and sits back down on the couch. “But for now, I think I need to work this through on my own. I’ll let you know if I want to talk.”

“You do that, Kurt. You always know where to find me.”

Burt grabs the remote and switches the tv on to watch the evening news. The program doesn’t seem to hold Kurt’s attention any more than his magazine had, but Burt can’t really blame him. He doubts that Kurt is interested in thinking about anything other than Blaine right now.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the longest chapter, and it takes place over the course of 6 months, rather than the week or so covered in the rest of them. After this, there's just one chapter left! Thanks to everyone who's read this far.

Chapter 10- Kurt is 21, Blaine is 38

_September_

Blaine rinses out his tea cup and sets in in the dish drain to dry. He’s freshly showered and dressed in a t-shirt and old sweats, and he doesn’t feel like doing much with his night. It’s not even 9 o’clock, so he doesn’t want to go to bed just yet. He turns and meanders into his living room, wondering if there’s anything good on tv on a Friday night.

As he settles onto the couch, he looks at his new handmade quilt and smiles. Kurt had given it to him for his birthday just ten days ago, and Blaine has been enamored with it ever since, even though the end-of-summer weather hasn’t given him much chance to use it for anything other than decoration. Kurt had been apologetic about the timing when Blaine had unwrapped it.

“I know a quilt isn’t exactly a seasonally appropriate present,” he’d said, “but I didn’t want to wait until Christmas. What if you’d gotten cold in November or December and I had this tucked away in my linen closet? And, to be honest, once it was done, I wanted to give it to you as soon as possible.”

“I’m so glad you did,” Blaine had responded. “This is so beautiful, Kurt. When did you even have time to make this, between work and school and all your other sewing projects?”

Kurt had smiled almost shyly at him. “I guess when something is important to you, it’s easy to find the time for it.”

Thinking back to it now, Blaine can’t help but smile at the memory. His smile grows even bigger when he remembers what had come a few minutes after he’d unwrapped his present. He and Kurt had kissed, for only the second time since their conversation on New Year’s.

The first time, on the 4th of July, was little more than him giving into temptation, since Blaine was highly dubious of Kurt’s claim that kissing on Independence Day was a centuries-old tradition and to not do so would be blatantly unpatriotic. It had been a fairly chaste kiss, given that they were in a park surrounded by hundreds of people gathered for the fireworks display, but it had left him giddy for days afterwards.

For their second kiss, a week and a half ago, Blaine hadn’t even put up an argument. After all, it was his birthday, and he couldn’t honestly deny familiarity with the concept of birthday kisses. Although, until then, his experience with birthday kisses had been limited to quick pecks on the cheek and not anything like the long, sensuous kiss he’d shared with Kurt.

Blaine had been hoping for another kiss today, given that it is Kurt’s birthday, but his plans had been slightly derailed, and he’d had to make do with a rain check.

This year, Kurt’s birthday fell on a Friday, the first of the fall semester. Kurt finished with his last class at 1pm, and Blaine had taken the afternoon off to take him out for a long lunch. They’d spent hours at their favorite restaurant, tucked away into a corner booth, until they both had to admit that a late lunch was turning into an early dinner. If they weren’t such frequent customers, their waitress probably would have furious at them for usurping a table for over four hours, but she knew them well enough to know that her tip would more than make up for the inconvenience.

The pair had been happily sharing yet another slice of cake when Kurt’s phone had buzzed with a text. When he read it, he’d groaned.

“What’s up?” Blaine had asked.

“Rachel and Santana are outside my apartment _now_.”

“What, why?” Blaine had glanced at his watch before saying, “I thought we had another hour.”

Kurt had looked down when another text came through. “They want me to come home now so that they can, and I quote, help me dress for tonight. Like I would ever let either of them pick out an outfit for me!”

Blaine had laughed. “They’re excited. It’s your 21st birthday; they want to celebrate with you.”

“I know, but going out clubbing with Rachel and Santana isn’t exactly my idea of a good time- especially when you refuse to come.”

“Oh no,” Blaine had replied. “We’ve been over this. Tonight is about you and your old school friends having a good time; you don’t need me there interfering. Besides, you know how much Santana creeps me out.”

“That’s because she’s convinced that you’re my secret sugar daddy, and well, I haven’t actually decided if she’s trying to test your loyalty to me or convince you to take her on as well.”

Blaine had scrunched up his face is revulsion. “Either way- ick. You are definitely on your own tonight, sweetheart.”

“Fine. But don’t think I’m forgetting the significance of my birthday. You owe me a kiss, and if I can’t have it tonight, I expect to be able to claim it at my earliest convenience.”

Blaine had smiled. “I could kiss you right now, you know.”

“No.” Kurt had glanced around at the slowly filling restaurant. “I want a private kiss.”

Blaine’s pulse had leapt at that, and now, sitting alone in his apartment, he feels his heart rate pick up again as he remembers the look on Kurt’s face when he’d demanded a private kiss. At his earliest convenience, Kurt had said. Will he come over first thing tomorrow, Blaine wonders? Probably not, if he’s out late tonight. But maybe tomorrow afternoon or evening. They don’t officially have plans, but they usually spend at least part of Saturday together, if not the whole day.

Blaine is jolted out of his thoughts by a knock at the door. He frowns; the front desk hasn’t buzzed him to let anyone up, and Kurt is the only person they know to let up unannounced. It must be one of his neighbors- maybe Mrs. Zimmerman from the 5th floor, who’s always going door to door with petitions to change the décor in the hallways or the flowers in the planters outside. But when he puts his eye to the peek hole, it isn’t Mrs. Zimmerman- it’s Kurt. He quickly unlocks the door and pulls it open.

“Hey! What are you-,” he loses his drain of thought mid-sentence when he gets a better look at Kurt, who’s wearing knee-high boots, skintight black pants, and an equally tight blue shirt with the top three buttons undone. He’s got glitter around his eyes, and his hair has been done up in an even higher swoop than normal. Blaine can’t stop his eyes from running over him again and again, until Kurt’s voice brings him back to the situation at hand.

“I want you to kiss me,” he says.

Blaine swallows heavily. “You mean you came for your birthday kiss? I was thinking you’d come by sometime tomorrow. You didn’t have to ditch Rachel and Santana so early in the evening.” Not two minutes ago he’d been looking forward to the kiss, but with Kurt standing in front of him dressed like something out of a very R-rated dream, he’s not sure he can handle another ‘let’s kiss because we’re friends’ moment.

Kurt steps fully into the apartment, shuts the door, and leans back against it. He shakes his head. “No. I don’t want a birthday kiss. I want a boyfriend kiss- a real relationship kiss. And I want to be able to have one whenever I want, not just a few times a year when we can come up with an excuse.”

Blaine is suddenly very aware of the rapid pounding of his heart. “You mean, you want us to be…” He’s so nervous he can’t even get the word out.

Luckily for him, Kurt seems to have enough nerves for the both of them. “I want us to be a couple. We agreed that I would take some time to think things over. It’s been eight months. I’ve done all my thinking, and I don’t want to take any more time. Please, Blaine?”

Blaine has just enough presence of mind to blurt out “Yes,” before he’s lunging at Kurt, leaning up well onto his tiptoes to make up the difference between his bare feet and Kurt’s boots, and kissing him. He lands a little off target, getting more the corner of Kurt’s mouth then the center, but this smart, wonderful man in front of him tilts his head to compensate, and then Blaine isn’t really aware of anything else for a long time.

What finally brings him back to himself is his toes cramping from having rested all of his weight on them for so long. Sighing, he slides his mouth from Kurt’s and settle on the soles of his feet, keeping his head pressed firmly against Kurt’s shoulder.

Kurt has both hands around Blaine’s waist, holding him tightly, but he brings one up to rub soothingly up and down his back as he says quietly, “You ok?”

In answer, Blaine just nods his head against Kurt’s chest, not trusting his voice at the moment.

After a while, he mumbles into Kurt’s shirt, “Do those boots have heels?”

“What?” He can hear the laughter in Kurt’s voice.

“You seem a lot taller than normal. I’m not sure if it’s because I don’t have shoes on or because your boots are higher than normal. If it’s the boots, you’ll have to tell me the next time you wear them. If I pick out the appropriate footwear, I won’t have to stop kissing you.”

Kurt cradles his face in his hand and tilts it back to so they get a good look at each other. Blaine looks up to see Kurt’s eyes twinkling and his lips smiling tenderly. He strokes his thumb across Blaine’s jaw and says, “Is that why you stopped?”

Blaine nods, enjoying the way the motion rubs Kurt’s hand against his cheek. “Otherwise I would have kept kissing you forever.” There’s a good chance that Blaine will be embarrassed by that line later, but in the moment he means it earnestly.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to have had the intended effect on Kurt, because the other man darts his gaze away from Blaine and pulls slowly away. But he does take Blaine’s hand in his, so it can’t be that bad. Leading them through the foyer and onto the living room couch, Kurt says, “Um. That’s maybe something we should talk about.”

“Kissing?” Blaine asks, his mind still clouded with Kurt.

“More like where kissing can lead,” Kurt replies.

Blaine feels like he’s finally catching up with this conversation. “You’re talking about sex, right?” he queries, and then gets to watch Kurt’s cheeks blush rosy red.

Kurt may be embarrassed, but it doesn’t stop him. “Yes, I am. One of the things that I thought about when we were taking some time was how quickly things got out of hand at your mom’s New Year’s Eve party. All I intended was to kiss you, and then suddenly there was so much happening and we were on the verge of doing a lot more than kissing. And that was definitely a first for me. I mean, I thought that Adam and I had done a fair amount of kissing, but there was never that much, um, heat, and there was certainly never any…”

He trails off and makes a wavelike motion with his hand, which Blaine observes for a few seconds before saying quizzically, “Hips?”

Kurt’s blush returns in full force. “Yes. _Hips_. At any rate, I realized how easy it could be to get carried away and do something I’m not ready for. Now that we’re going to be together, I want to make sure that doesn’t happen. I know it won’t be good for me, and I don’t think it will be good for our relationship either.”

Blaine squeezes Kurt’s hand and says, “Kurt, I completely agree. I would never want you to do anything you’re uncomfortable with or that you’d regret later on. I know what I said about kissing you forever, but please don’t think that I meant to imply anything by that. We’ll go at whatever speed you’re comfortable with. And, to be honest, I don’t usually rush into the physical side of a relationship. I’ve always felt that it’s important to build a solid basis with someone before bringing sex into the mix. It’s going to be a little harder with you because my emotions are so far past where they usually are at this stage of the game, but I care about you and our relationship, and I’m not going to let my hormones jeopardize what we have.”

Kurt smiles at him. “Ok. I’m glad we’re on the same page. So for now, we’ll stick with kissing? And maybe just keep everything above the waist?”

“Absolutely,” Blaine agreed. “Besides, we have a lot of kissing to do to make up for all the time we weren’t doing it at all. I’m sure that will keep us plenty occupied.”

“Right,” Kurt says, sidling closer to Blaine on the couch. “So how do you feel about making up for some of that lost time right now?”

“Really, really fantastic,” Blaine replies, and then their lips are too busy to talk again for a long time.

\---

_November_

“Your dad is going to kill me,” Blaine moans.

Kurt doesn’t even look up from the suitcase he’s packing. “No, he’s not. I wish you’d stop saying that. You know my dad has always loved you.”

“That was before I was dating his son. Now he’s going to kill me. Please, please can we not tell him? Let’s wait until Christmas. It’s the time of forgiveness- he can’t kill me then.”

Kurt finally looks over at Blaine, who’s lying crosswise across the bed with his hands over his face. “You know I don’t like hiding this from him. I’ve been ok with it until now because at first I did want to keep it just between the two of us, and then because I didn’t want to tell him over the phone. But now we’re going home to Lima, and there’s no good reason not to tell him.”

“Preventing my death isn’t a good reason?” Blaine removes his hands from his face just in time to catch the glare Kurt sends his way. Time to try another option. “Ok. How about this. You tell him if he asks, but only if he asks, and you tell him unofficially.”

“Ok, first, you know he’s going to ask. We’re not that good at hiding it, and my dad can read me like a book. And second- unofficially? What does that even mean?”

“It means that you tell him that we’re together, but that we’re taking things slow, and we’re not ready to share it with other people yet. And that you’d appreciate it if he didn’t mention it until we’ve gotten more settled.”

Kurt sighs. “That actually doesn’t sound that bad. I want him to know, but I really don’t want to face an interrogation about it yet.” He takes a long look at Blaine. “But I still don’t understand why you’re so afraid of my dad.”

“Of course you don’t. To you he’s this big softie who bought you pink ballet shoes and had no problem teaching you to rotate tires one day and taking you to Sing Along Sound of Music the next. To me he’s this gruff, intimidating guy twice my size, who can practically read my mind, and who’s definitely not going to be happy with the 38 year old man dating his 21 year old son.”

“Honey,” Kurt begins, coming to sit next to him on the bed and place a hand on his knee, “I really don’t think my dad is going to be upset with you. When he asked me about us back in January, he didn’t have anything negative to say, and he didn’t even mention the age difference.”

“But that was before we were even together. There’s a big difference between thinking about the possibility of us together and the reality of us as an actual couple.”

Kurt scans his face for a few moments and then says, “Look, Blaine, I don’t want to dismiss your feelings about this because I can tell it’s honestly worrying you. But I know my dad a lot better than you do, and I know he’s not going to be upset with us, or with you. Can you just trust my judgment on this, please? I promise to only tell him unofficially if you promise not to run out of the room every time he comes in.”

Blaine sits up and leans his head on Kurt’s shoulder. “Deal.”

“It’s going to be a great trip, Blaine,” Kurt reassures him. “We’ll have a wonderful Thanksgiving meal, we’ll go Black Friday shopping, and we’ll have fun catching up with our families. I promise.”

\---

Blaine doesn’t actually see Burt until Thanksgiving morning, when he walks over to the Hummel house to help Kurt and Carole prep for the large meal they’ll be enjoying later that day. He and Kurt had flown in yesterday, but Finn had volunteered to pick them up from the airport, much to Blaine’s relief. He’d then elected to spend the entire day with his mother, and Kurt hadn’t pushed him on it, probably realizing that Blaine was only postponing the inevitable.

It’s Carole who opens the front door and ushers him inside, seeming delighted to see him again. She takes his coat and leads him into the kitchen, where Kurt is studying the large schedule he’s created for the day’s cooking; Blaine had watched him perfect it while they were waiting for their flight, and he’d found the multi-colored blocks divided up into 15 minutes intervals adorable. Of course, he’d known better than to say that to Kurt, for whom cooking a holiday meal is serious business and definitely not adorable.

Serious business or not, Kurt is able to spare a few seconds to glance up at Blaine and grin. “Hi! You’re here!”

“I’m here,” Blaine agrees, fighting the urge to kiss him hello. Instead he walks to the sink and quickly washes and dries his hands. Then he steps over to Kurt and asks, “What can I do to help?”

Kurt gestures to the bowl of apples sitting on the counter next him. “Peel those, please?”

Blaine stays close to Kurt’s side for the next few hours, and Kurt is willing to indulge him, not seeming to mind that Blaine has decided to use him as a human shield. He’s aware that he’s being silly. Burt’s not even in the room at first, and while he sees Carole giving them a few interested glances, it doesn’t bother him. But he knows that Burt is somewhere in the house, probably in the living room watching football, and Kurt’s proximity seems to be the only thing keeping his anxiety at bay.

Eventually Burt does wander into the room, an empty water glass held loosely in one hand. He greets Blaine enthusiastically, “Blaine, Hi! How’s your Thanksgiving going so far?”

Blaine is barely able to squeak out a “Fine, and yours?” as he tries to maneuver himself behind Kurt just a little more without being too obvious.

He can’t quite interpret the look Burt gives him when he says, “Great, great. Finn and I are watching football in the living room, if you want to join us. I know how much you love a good game.”

He’s saved from having to respond by Kurt, who says, “We need Blaine in here, Dad.” He holds up a copy of his color-coded schedule and points to the current time segment, where Blaine knows his own name is printed next to the words ‘assist Kurt’, as it is during every 15 minute block. “See, he’s on my schedule. I can’t rearrange things now.”

Blaine tries his best to stifle his sigh of relief and makes a mental note to buy Kurt something really, really nice for Christmas. Or maybe even tomorrow when they’re out shopping. Or maybe every single day for the rest of their lives.

Happily, Burt doesn’t seem inclined to argue with his son about Blaine’s presence, so he shrugs and says, “Alright, kiddo. Remind me again what time I’m supposed to make my sweet potatoes?” He turns his head slightly towards Blaine, “It’s an old family recipe, and it’s the only dish Kurt hasn’t mastered yet.”

“Because you refuse to tell me the secret,” Kurt huffs. He consults the schedule in his hand one more time and tells Burt, “Come back at 3:15, and don’t be late. We’re on a very tight schedule.”

“Sure thing, Kurt.” He refills his glass of water, grabs a pear from a fruit bowl on the table, and gives Carole a kiss on the cheek on the way out of the room.

Blaine leans against the counter behind him and lets out a deep breath.

Kurt glances over at Carole before whispering, “See? I told you everything would be fine.”

Blaine just frowns and whispers back, “Yeah, but you haven’t told him anything yet, right? I still think he’s going to kill me.”

\---

Despite having eaten more than his fill during Thanksgiving dinner, Burt finds himself hungry again later than night. Carole has to work the next morning and is already asleep, Finn has gone back to his place, and he thinks that Kurt is probably sleeping as well, so he’s deliberately quiet when he heads downstairs to grab a snack.

It turns out Kurt isn’t asleep; instead, he’s sitting at the kitchen table eating a slice of apple pie and flipping through a magazine. He looks up when Burt enters. “Hi, Dad. Couldn’t sleep?”

Burt laughs. “It’s hard to believe, but I’m hungry again.” He points to the pie on Kurt’s plate. “Any more of that left?”

“In the fridge, on the top shelf,” Kurt says, for once not nagging his dad about dietary restrictions.

Burt cuts himself a slice, pours a glass of milk, and comes to sit next to Kurt at the table. “What about you, kiddo? Can’t sleep?”

Kurt lets out a laugh and pushes his magazine away from him. “I’m used to staying up pretty late, actually. New York doesn’t really ever go to sleep.”

Burt takes a bite of pie and then says, “Man, this pie is good. Everything today was really good, Kurt. You and Carole sure do work well together in the kitchen.”

Kurt smiles wryly. “Yes, there aren’t many people who are able to tolerate me, not to mention keep up with me when I’m preparing a holiday meal. Now that Pam’s cooking less and less, it’s nice to have someone to collaborate with.”

Burt side-eyes him. “Blaine seemed to be working pretty well with you too. Or at least pretty closely. He was stuck to your side all day. I thought he was going to have a panic attack when you left the table to bring out the pies.”

His son rolls his eyes, but his soft smile tempers the effect. “I know. He was nervous today.”

Burt is pretty sure he knows where this is going. “Nervous about what?”

“About you. He thinks you’re going to be angry when you find out about us.”

“Us? So there’s an us?” Burt tries to clarify.

Kurt grins at him and nods. “Yes, there’s an us. Blaine and I are together.” He’s beaming now, clearly happy to be sharing this news with his dad.

Burt leans over and claps him on the back. “That’s great, Kurt. Why didn’t you guys say anything?”

Kurt shrugs his shoulders slightly. “It’s really new for us, and we’re taking things very slowly. We’ve been friends for so long that we’re still adjusting to being in a relationship. So, we’re keeping things to ourselves until we’re both more comfortable. Blaine knows that I was going to tell you during this visit though, and that’s why he’s been acting so weird. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t say anything to him about it. He’s not quite ready to do the whole ‘meet the parents’ thing, even if it is fairly moot, in our case.”

“Well, ok, Kurt. If Blaine’s not ready to share yet, I’m not going to force him to. But you guys are happy?”

“We are _so_ happy, Dad. More than I had ever imagined we could be,” Kurt says ardently.

“Good. You deserve it,” Burt tells his son. He pauses for a moment before saying, “And, Kurt? Make sure Blaine knows he deserves it too. Somehow I think there’s more to his sudden inability to face me than just ‘meeting the parents’ nerves.”

Kurt sighs and looks at him knowingly. “I know. His dad really did a number on him, didn’t he?”

Burt reaches over and grips Kurt’s hand briefly. “Yep, he sure did. But Blaine’s a strong guy; he’ll get through it.” At least Burt hopes so.

\---

_December_

“Right, ok, your dad’s not going to kill me. He’s not going to kill me. What bowtie says ‘please don’t kill me’? Kurt, do you think Burt would like the red one with the little snowmen because it says I’m harmless and fun to be around, or the one with the little footballs because it will remind him of something he loves?”

The scene is almost an exact replica of what they’d gone through just a month ago, except this time they’re in Blaine’s bedroom, with Kurt lying on the bed watching Blaine try to pack.

“Honey, my dad is not going to care what bowtie you wear. My dad loves you. _I_ love you. This is going to be fine.”

“Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to take the proper sartorial precautions. You of all people should agree with that. Come on, Kurt, help me out here. You know you dad better than anyone. What bowties would he like?” Blaine is aware of the desperate whine in his voice, but he’s too stressed to try to conceal it from Kurt.

Groaning, his boyfriend tilts his head to look at the bowties that Blaine has amassed on the dresser. “The scarlet and grey one- those are Buckeye colors, right? And the aquamarine one with hints of silver- it will match my eyes in the living room lighting. And, um, do you still have that one with tiny little Rudolphs? Don’t tell anyone, but that’s his guilty pleasure Christmas movie.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Blaine hastens to pull out the bowties that Kurt has chosen and folds them carefully into his suitcase. “Alright. Now on to socks. We’re making quite a lot of progress already.”

“Blaine.”

He turns to look at Kurt, still stretched out on his bed.

“Come sit down for a minute.” Kurt pats the blanket next to him, and Blaine walks over and perches beside him, but that doesn’t seem to be what Kurt wants because he tugs him down until he’s lying on his side facing him.

“What’s up?” he asks him.

Kurt doesn’t answer. Instead, he leans in and starts peppering his face with tiny kisses, seemingly intent on pressing his mouth to every inch of Blaine’s face. When Kurt finds a particularly sensitive spot on the underside of Blaine’s jaw, he giggles and squirms away, asking, “What are you doing?”

“I’m helping you relax,” Kurt replies calmly.

“Oh. You have the best ideas,” Blaine murmurs, tilting his face back towards Kurt in the hopes of more kisses.

Kurt seems only too happy to comply, and he leans back in and keeps pressing his lips softly to Blaine’s skin. He says between kisses, “I know. It’s that Hummel wisdom. It helps in all sorts of situations.”

Eventually though, he pulls back and tucks his hands under the side of his head, looking intently at Blaine. “Honey, we need to talk about this. We can do it now, or we can do it after we tell our parents, but I think telling them will be a lot easier if you open up about what’s really bothering you.”

Blaine frowns. “You know what’s bothering me, Kurt. I’m worried about your dad’s reaction. And no, I don’t honestly think he’s going to kill me, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to have a positive reaction.”

“I get that Blaine, but I think that there’s an underlying issue here that you are either ignoring or not aware of.”

Blaine can feel his brow wrinkling. “Like what?”

He can see Kurt’s hands flexing beneath his head as he struggles for words. “Ok. Why exactly do you think my dad is going to be upset with you?”

“We’ve been through this- because I’m 38 years old. I’m practically old enough to be your father!”

Kurt doesn’t react to the frustration in Blaine’s voice; he just keeps looking steadily at him and says, “Good. Just keep going with me on this, alright?” He waits until Blaine nods to say, “And why would our ages matter?”

“Because most people think that this large of an age difference is probably representative of some sort of unequal power dynamic or a relationship based on something other than genuine affection.”

“So we might be seen by some as violating a societal norm?” Kurt queries, and Blaine can only nod again.

Kurt keeps going. “But my dad already knows about us, and he wasn’t at all upset. So why do you think he’ll change his mind when we make it public?”

“Because… Because there’s a difference between knowing something is happening and having it pronounced out loud and paraded around in front of you.” That statement feels off to Blaine even before it’s left his mouth. Is that really what he thinks?

He doesn’t have time to think it over though because Kurt continues talking, even more gently than before. “So even though my dad already knows what’s going on, you’re afraid to tell him because you think he’ll react badly to us openly admitting to something that many people in society frown upon.   You think everything will be fine if we keep hiding. Does that sound familiar to you at all, honey?”

Blaine stares at him, his mind racing. Is Kurt saying what he thinks he’s saying? Is the connection really so obvious, and if so, how could he not have noticed before?

He’s still thinking it through when Kurt must decide to give him another nudge. “When was the last time you were in a situation like that- openly admitting to something you don’t think is wrong, but others do, to someone who probably already knows?”

Blaine groans. “When I came out to my parents.”

That gets him an encouraging smile. “Right, and how did that go?”

“Badly, as you know.”

Kurt nods. “I do know. And you know what else I know, in all my Hummel wisdom?”

Blaine’s lips twitch half-heartedly at that, and he says, “What?”

“Your father was a selfish, cold, bigot. He put his concern for appearances before his love for you. I can’t even imagine how horrible that was for you to live with, but I can promise you that it is not going to happen again. We are going to tell our families that we’re together, and they are going to be happy for us. End of story.” The ferocity in Kurt’s tone takes Blaine by surprise; he’s so used to the softer side of Kurt that he’s forgotten the steel that lies beneath.

“I love you so much, Kurt,” he says as he starts to feel relief seep through his body.

Kurt reaches out and brushes a hand tenderly over his cheek. “I love you too. Are we ok?”

Blaine turns his head to kiss the hand against his face. “We are better than ok.”

“Excellent.” Kurt rolls his body and swings a leg smoothly over Blaine’s, so that he’s straddling him. He keeps his weight on his hands and knees so their bodies aren’t touching. “You know what it really great after an emotionally draining conversation?”

If Blaine hadn’t known the answer already, the fact that Kurt’s gaze is glued to his lips would have clued him in. He laughs and says, “Making out?”

“Making out,” Kurt confirms, and leans down to do just that.

Blaine, not possessing Kurt’s astonishing Hummel wisdom, actually puts a hand up to stop him. “But what about your rule about not making out on the bed?”

Kurt’s voice is higher than normal when he responds, “I won’t tell if you won’t,” and Blaine at least has enough sense not to question _that_ suggestion.

\---

When Kurt had suggested a Christmas Eve dinner for just the Andersons and Hummels (and Hudsons), Burt had expected that he and Blaine would use the opportunity to officially announce their relationship status. What he hadn’t expected, especially given Blaine’s behavior over Thanksgiving, was for him to be the one to bring up the subject. But midway through the meal, Blaine does just that.

“Everyone,” he begins, “I just want to say how happy I am to be sharing this meal with Kurt’s and my closest family. I’m not sure how surprising this will be to anyone here, but Kurt and I are very happy to be able to tell you that we are officially together.” He reaches over and places his hand on Kurt’s, looking a tad nervous, but mostly happy.

Before Burt can say anything, Finn jumps in with, “What do you mean together?” There seems to be genuine puzzlement on his face.

Burt can see Kurt visibly restraining the desire to roll his eyes. “Blaine and I are a couple, Finn. We’re in a romantic relationship.”

The confusion on Finn’s face only grows. He turns to Blaine and says, “Wait- you’re gay?”

Kurt makes an indistinct, high-pitched noise, and next to him he can see Carole pinch the bridge of her nose.

For his part, Blaine’s manners apparently prevent him from voicing the emotions that are warring on his face. In a voice that holds only a trace of humor, Blaine says, “Yes, Finn. I’m gay.”

Finn smiles and reaches for his fork. “That’s great. It’s about time that Kurt found an actual gay guy to date, instead of-.”

He’s cut off by Kurt’s sharp, “Finn! Have some more potatoes.” He picks up the bowl and practically throws it across the table at his step-brother.

“Thanks, dude,” Finn says as he takes the potatoes and helps himself to another serving. Then he turns his attention back to his meal with the kind of single-mindedness that only Finn possesses, and seems to tune out the rest of the conversation.

Burt clears his throat and says, “Well, I can’t tell you how happy that makes me. The two of you are a great match, and it’s nice to see you finally together.

Carole chimes in with her agreement, saying “That’s really such wonderful news! And the two of you are practically glowing. Being together obviously suits you.”

Across the table, Pam Anderson has stayed silent, and now all eyes turn to her. She seems to be quite shocked by the news, but not upset. “Well. This is a surprise. Quite a surprise.”

Blaine says quietly, “It’s good news, Mom- the best news.”

Burt is relieved when she smiles faintly. “I suppose if you and Kurt are happy, I’m happy.”

Kurt glances quickly at Blaine and then tells her, “We’re ecstatic, and we’re very glad you’re happy for us.”

The meal continues on after that, with other topics taking over the conversation, but as far as Burt notices, Blaine never releases his grip on Kurt’s hand.

\---

A few nights later, when Christmas has come and gone, Burt comes home from a closing shift at the shop to find Carole and Kurt chatting over cups of tea in the kitchen. He greets them both and has just declined their offer of a cup (tea has never appealed to him unless he’s sick), when Carole’s cellphone rings. She grabs it from where it’s charging on the counter and says, “Oh, it’s my sister. I have to take this- we’ve been playing phone tag since Christmas.”

She leaves the room and Burt is left alone with his son. “No Blaine tonight?”

Kurt shakes his head. “He’s next door already. He wanted to go to sleep early; I guess staying up to play Mario Kart with me and Finn really wore him out last night.”

Burt runs a hand over his scalp. “You know, Kurt, Blaine’s welcome to stay here.” Seeing Kurt’s blank look he adds, “At night. He’s welcome to spend the night.”

Kurt furrows his brow at him. “Why would he do that? He’s literally a minute away, and his mom has plenty of space.”

Burt pulls out a chair and joins Kurt at the table to buy himself some time. “Well, if the two of you want some alone time, Carole and I would be ok with that- as long as you respect the fact that there are other people in the house.”

Kurt has always blushed so brightly, and this is no exception. Burt wonders if it’s really healthy to turn that red that fast. He sputters out, “What- I don’t- what?,” and Burt actually feels a little bad for his son.

“Kurt, it’s ok. We’re all adults here, and I know what it’s like to be young and in love. Like I said, if you and Blaine want to share your room, that’s fine. Just keep the noise down.”

Kurt is shaking his head frantically. “No, Dad, just no. I mean, thank you for the, um, offer, but Blaine and I don’t need it. We’re not at the sharing a room stage in the relationship- not in New York, and certainly not here.”

“Really,” Burt can’t help but say a bit incredulously, feeling bad almost as soon as he says it, but Kurt just rolls his eyes at him.

“Yes, really. You know it is possible to have a healthy relationship that doesn’t involve falling into bed at the drop of a hat.”

“Of course it is. I’m sorry to have assumed anything about the two of you. You guys should go at whatever pace you’re both comfortable with. Just know that the offer is on the table for whenever you might need it- no matter how near or far in the future.”

Kurt gives him a brief nod in response, and Burt feels the need to change the topic and relieve some of the tension that’s still in the air.

He fishes around for a more pleasant subject, but all he can think of to say is, “So, uh, how’s Pam taking the new relationship status now that she’s had a few days to adjust?”

It must be his lucky day because Kurt visibly relaxes. “Much better now. We actually thought she’d react the way she did at dinner. She’s just not good with surprises at all, and Blaine at least is used to it by now. This morning she wanted to hear all about our first date, so I’m pretty sure she’s over the shock.”

“That’s good; Blaine deserves to have family on his side.” He pauses for a few seconds. “I wasn’t expecting him to be the one making the announcement the other night. It was like he was back to his old self.”

A smile stretches across Kurt’s mouth, and he says, “Yes, he certainly is. He had a lot of old issues with his father that never got resolved, but we talked through them. It means a lot to him, to both of us, that you’re so supportive.”

Burt looks his son in the eyes and says, “I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. I love you, Kurt. And I love Blaine too. The two of you have my constant support. I will always be in your corner.”

The hug he gets from Kurt makes it clear that he’s been forgiven for his previous conversational mishap.

\---

Blaine hits the remote and turns off the tv, not interested in seeing the credits roll on the movie they’ve just finished. “I’m not sure I like that one as much as the original.”

Tucked in next to him under their shared blanket, Kurt snuggles closer and says, “I know. Why do people keep making remakes of movies that are already perfect? What are they hoping to achieve?”

“Box office sales,” Blaine suggests, and next to him Kurt makes a sound of agreement.

Blaine glances over at the clock and says, “It’s only 7. Did you want to do something else tonight?”

“Can we just cuddle? I’m in the mood for a good cuddle session,” Kurt says.

Blaine kisses his forehead and replies, “Absolutely. Cuddling sounds perfect right now.” He tightens his arm around Kurt, who tries to burrow even closer, though Blaine’s not sure that’s physically possible.

They sit in silence for a few minutes, listening to the ticking of the clock and each other’s breathing, before Kurt says, “My dad thinks we’re having sex.”

“Right now?” Blaine exclaims, raising his head in alarm and clenching his hand around Kurt’s arm.

Kurt laughs. “What? No. Calm down. I should have said he _thought_ that we’re having sex. I corrected him.”

Oh. That’s not too bad. Blaine consciously relaxes the grip he has on Kurt’s arm. “Why would he think that?”

Kurt keeps his head pressed to Blaine’s chest as he says, “Because we’re in love, and we’ve been in a relationship for almost 4 months, following what some people might consider a very long courtship.”

Blaine scoffs. “That was not courtship. This is courtship. I am actively courting you- and wooing you. We are in the courting and wooing stage.”

Kurt giggles. “You know what I mean. Most people don’t wait this long to sleep together.”

“So what? We’re not most people. We agreed to take things slowly; I don’t want to pressure you, Kurt.”

“I appreciate that, but do you ever think that maybe we’re going a little _too_ slowly?” Kurt’s voice is hesitant.

Blaine takes a moment to think over his reply. “I’m happy with whatever pace you want to take things, Kurt. Are you saying that you want things to… progress?”

Beneath the blanket, Kurt squirms until his hand lands on Blaine’s arm, and then he traces it down until he finds his fingers. He plays with them while he says, “Maybe. I’ve been thinking about it. I feel like we’ve been moving along lately anyway, don’t you?”

Blaine thinks about this. There has certainly been more hands underneath shirts lately, and they’d had their pre-trip makeout session on the bed, but he doesn’t feel like either of those things are particularly huge leaps forward. Still, they wouldn’t have done either even a month ago, and from Kurt’s perspective he can see how it would seem like progress. He answers Kurt’s question with, “You’re right, we have. So what exactly are you suggesting?”

Kurt tangles their fingers together and holds on. “I’m not proposing that we just hop into bed when we get back to New York- and certainly not here! But maybe we can sort of see where things lead us?”

Blaine smiles at him, though he knows Kurt can’t see it from his position. “That works for me. But if we’re going to be relaxing the rules, it’s more important than ever that we communicate. Promise me you’ll tell me if anything makes you uncomfortable?”

“I promise,” Kurt replies.

“And speaking of communication,” Blaine begins, “we should have a talk about some things before we do too much more. Health, safety, preferences- that sort of thing. So that we’re prepared should the mood take us.”

“Ok,” Kurt says slowly. “My dad gave me lots of pamphlets before I moved to New York so I should be ready for the health and safety part of the conversation. And I, uh, I do have some things that I’ve been, you know, thinking about- I don’t know if you can really call them preferences yet.”

Blaine’s mind takes off the second he hears Kurt mention thinking about preferences, and he’s about to see if he can get Kurt to tell him a little more about that when he feels Kurt squirm next to him and hears him say, “Can we have that conversation when we’re back in New York? I think I’ve said about as much as I want to say while sitting on your mom’s couch.”

“Of course we can, sweetheart,” Blaine says, and he places another kiss to Kurt’s forehead. It’s then that he realizes that they’ve had an entire conversation about a very important topic without ever making eye contact- Kurt’s kept his head firmly on Blaine’s chest the entire time. Suddenly worrying about Kurt’s comfort level, he untangles his hand and brings it out from the blanket to lift up Kurt’s chin.

He examines his boyfriend closely. Kurt’s cheeks are pink but his eyes are clear, and he looks content and a little quizzical.

“What?” Kurt asks.

“Nothing. I just wanted to look at you,” Blaine explains.

“Oh. Well, while you’ve got me, you might want to kiss me too,” Kurt suggests, and Blaine does just that.

\---

_February_

Blaine likes sex, but it’s never been something he felt like he couldn’t live without. It’s always been wonderful to be able to connect with his previous boyfriends on a physical level, but he’s never valued it more than an emotional connection. He’s certainly never had any interest in one night stands or the friends with benefits arrangements that so many of his peers had favored when he was younger.

When Kurt had first brought up taking the physical side of their relationship slowly, on the night they’d finally become a couple, he’d been only too happy to comply. Then in December, when they’d discussed the possibility of progressing their physical intimacy, he’d been excited but restrained. So it had taken him completely by surprise to find that the very first time they were back in New York and in the privacy of one of their own apartments, he had been completely and utterly overwhelmed by desire.

They’d been on the couch, with Kurt a pleasantly solid weight on his lap. As they’d kissed passionately, Blaine had slipped a hand under Kurt’s untucked shirt, and instead of going up as he usually did, he’d let it drift down. Just that small action, feeling the soft skin beneath Kurt’s waist band for the very first time, had been enough to almost drive him over the edge. He’d remained on that precipice for an entire month, while he and Kurt slowly but steadily worked their way towards the bedroom.

Which was where they had finally ended up earlier this evening, and where they still are now, lying on their backs with their arms touching, flushed and panting. Kurt had reached down and pulled the sheet up to their waists almost as soon as they’d finished, obviously not yet completely comfortable with nudity now that they were done.

Next to him, Kurt giggles. “What,” he asks languidly, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in a month. It’s all Blaine can do to turn his head to look at him.

Kurt turns on his side and wiggles closer, reaching out a hand to touch the planes of Blaine’s stomach. “I’m not a virgin anymore.”

“No, you _definitely_ are not.” Blaine smiles gently at him. “How do you feel?”

“Amazing. I think I’m still high on endorphins.” He leans over to kiss Blaine’s shoulder and then pulls back, a gleam in his eye. “You know my dad is totally going to kill you now, right?”

Blaine is frozen completely, a feeling of panic starting to well up in him, but then Kurt giggles and breaks the spell. He snorts at Kurt and says, “You’re terrible. Are you trying to give me an aneurysm?”

Kurt shakes his head, not at all apologetic. “Not at all. I have plans for you. We are definitely doing that again. Soon.”

He groans. “Go easy on me, sweetheart. We’re not all nubile young men with the vigor of the Energizer Bunny. Some of us need time to recover.”

Smiling, Kurt slides a leg over Blaine’s hips and presses up to his side. “How much time?”

“A bit,” Blaine replies, but then he rolls them over so that he’s looking down at Kurt. “But I’m sure that we can come up with something to do in the meantime.”

He’s right.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- Kurt is 22, Blaine is 39

Blaine rearranges the floral centerpiece on the table one more time and glances at the clock. Kurt should be home any minute. He’d texted him about an hour ago to let him know Blaine was at his apartment. They’d had keys to each other’s places for a while now, but don’t usually use them without giving the other a heads up.

He’s going to ask Kurt to move in with him today. It probably won’t come as much of a surprise to his boyfriend, considering they’ve talked casually about the possibility of living together a few times already, and with Kurt graduating in May and having his lease expire in June, the timing is fairly convenient. Still, he’s put a lot of work into how he’s going to ask, and he thinks Kurt will appreciate that. In fact, he’s considered saving his idea for when he asks Kurt to marry him, but he doesn’t think it is quite grandiose enough for Kurt’s tastes in marriage proposals. He’ll just have to come up with another idea for a proposal. Or Kurt can propose to him; Blaine isn’t picky about the matter, so long as one of them proposes in the foreseeable future.

But first things first; he and Kurt have agreed that they should live together for a time before they get engaged and are faced with the stress of planning a wedding. So today Blaine will ask him to move in with him. They’ll get to the marriage proposal eventually, he’s sure.

Finally, he hears the sound of Kurt’s key in the door and then him coming inside, followed by, “Blaine? Are you here?”

Smiling, he walks into the entryway to greet Kurt, who has already has his coat off and is unwinding the scarf from around his neck. “Hey, sweetheart.” He gives Kurt a quick kiss and then says, “How was your day?”

Kurt continues pulling off his outerwear as he replies, “Good. My morning lecture actually got out early for once, so I had a few extra minutes to study for my quiz in fashion history. It helped too; I think I aced it.” He shivers and rubs his hands along his arms. “But when is it going to warm up? I thought March was supposed to be the beginning of springtime; there shouldn’t still be snow on the ground!”

Blaine laughs and pulls Kurt into his arms, rubbing his back. “I could warm you up.”

It’s a cheesy line that’s meant to get a laugh out of Kurt, and it works. “You’re terrible,” his boyfriend tells him, “But also oddly compelling. Tell me more about this warming up plan.”

Not wanting to be deterred from his original purpose, Blaine pulls away. “Later. First, I made you a treat.”

“You did?” Kurt asks as he follows Blaine into the kitchen.

Blaine feels his stomach fluttering with nerves as he watches Kurt take in the table, upon which he has placed flowers, a pitcher of lemonade with glasses, and a plate of oatmeal cookies.

“You made me cookies? Honey, that’s so sweet!” He presses a kiss to Blaine check and then continues more slowly, “And is that… lemonade? That’s very… summery. Are you trying to combat the chill by making me think of summer?” Blaine can hear the confusion in his voice.

“Not exactly,” he says. “But if it has that effect, I’m certainly not going to complain.”

He runs a hand over his hair, feeling even more nervous now. “Kurt, do you remember when we first met?”

There’s a pause, and then Kurt replies, “When your parents moved in?”

Blaine nods. “Right. I was helping them move, and you came over with-,” he doesn’t have a chance to finish the sentence because Kurt finishes the thought.

“Cookies and lemonade. I remember.”

“These cookies and lemonade, to be precise. Or at least I hope so. I called Burt for help.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt asks.

“Well, I remembered that you’d brought over oatmeal cookies and lemonade, but I wasn’t sure what recipes you would have been using then. Burt told me he thought that was the summer you were addicted to the Joy of Cooking, and that’s easy enough to find. Then he said you never made lemonade without using your mom’s recipe. He still has it, so he read it to me over the phone.”

Next to him, Kurt has gone very still. “You used my mom’s recipe?”

“I tried. I won’t guarantee that I got it perfect, but I hope it’s close. Will you try it?”

He reaches down and pours Kurt a glass of lemonade, and then he hands it to him with an oatmeal cookie wrapped in a napkin.

Kurt takes a bite of the cookie and chews slowly; when he’s done, he takes a sip of lemonade, followed quickly by another.

His silence isn’t doing anything to alleviate Blaine’s nervousness, so he asks, “How’d I do?”

Kurt quickly puts the glass and the cookie down on the table and launches himself into Blaine’s arms, responding to his question with a passionate kiss.

When Kurt finally releases him, Blaine is left feeling more than a little shell-shocked. It takes him a few seconds before he can ask, “So they’re ok, then?”

His boyfriend beams at him. “They’re perfect. You’re perfect. This is so, so sweet of you.” His brow furrows just a bit, and he asks, “But what’s the occasion?”

Blaine takes a deep breath before replying. “These are what you brought me that day when I was moving my parents in, when we first met, so I thought it would be appropriate to make them for you when I asked you to move in with me. I love you Kurt, and I love the life that we’re building together. I don’t want to ever go another day without seeing you. Will you come live with me, please?”

Kurt is nodding before he’s even finished talking. “I will. I absolutely will. I love you so much, Blaine.” He takes Blaine’s face in his hands and kisses him until they’re both breathless.

When Kurt pulls back, it’s only to grin wickedly at Blaine and say, “So, do you still want to warm me up?”

“God yes,” Blaine says, and he leans up to capture Kurt’s lips in another kiss.

Later, much later, Blaine comes back into the kitchen for the cookies and lemonade. He brings them into the bedroom and sets them carefully on the bed, where Kurt is stretched out, looking flushed and beautiful. As they share their snack, Blaine can’t help but marvel at how far they’ve come in the past 10 years. He could never have foreseen this path when he first met Kurt, but now he doesn’t want to imagine his life any differently. Not for the first time, he thinks how grateful he is for Kurt’s generosity, which is really what started this all.


End file.
